


My Strange Addiction

by Lizzie_Gates97



Category: Fable (Video Games), Fable 3 (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:27:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29201319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzie_Gates97/pseuds/Lizzie_Gates97
Summary: Anna, a proud member of the Bowerstone Resistance unwillingly agrees to Page's plan to kill Reaver. All she has to do is break into his house and assassinate him while he sleeps, what could possibly go wrong? Reaver/OC
Relationships: Ben Finn/Original Character(s), Reaver (Fable)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. Dangerous Plans

"This is the most ridiculous plan… ever," Anna muttered quietly to herself as she approached the beautiful manor house. The house was situated next to the glorious Bower Lake and as the sun rose on that spring morning, the lake reflected the sunlight magnificently. She couldn't deny that the surroundings were beautiful, Millfields did have its charms, but if it was up to her, she would still be fast asleep in her makeshift bed in the sewers under Bowerstone Industrial. Unfortunately for Anna, she was not the leader of the Bowerstone Resistance, she didn't get to make such decisions, she only got to follow orders.

As the young girl continued to approach the manor, her eyes spied a group of four men. They were the other members of the Resistance that along with her, were about to undertake Page's ridiculous plan. The plan was to enter the home of one of Albion's most powerful men and assassinate him. It sounded simple enough, but Anna was very aware it wouldn't be that easy. Reaver was famous for being one of the best marksmen to ever live. He was crafty, cunning and was notorious for always being one step ahead of his enemy. Since the King had allowed Reaver to have control over the industrial quarter of Bowerstone, life for people living there deteriorated. Anna was one of those greatly impacted by Reaver's takeover. He was destroying the city, bleeding it dry and leaving its people to starve and suffer. Anna agreed with Page that Reaver needed to be stopped, however, she didn't agree with her plan to stop him.  
"There she is," one of the men, Matthew, spoke. He was the tallest of the group and was an ex-soldier. His skills with a sword had been very useful on several occasions since he had joined the rebel group.  
"I'm here," Anna muttered, rubbing her eyes as she was still struggling to wake up. Page had ordered the group to complete their task at dawn, which to Anna was an awfully bad way to start a mission. It did make sense though, although Anna would never admit it to Page. Reaver would be asleep at this time and much easier to kill.  
"So I've scouted around the area and the best way of gaining entry is through there," Kidd said, pointing as an open window above the group. Kidd had been with the Resistance group since the very beginning and as a result was one of Page's closest allies.

Anna's emerald green eyes glanced up to the window he had pointed out. It was wide open, letting the fresh spring air flow into the house. It would be easy to get all members of the group through the window; the difficult part was to climb up to it.  
"Right Anna, I'll give you a leg up," Matthew said to the girl, crouching down on one knee and cupping his gloved hands together.  
"Don't laugh at me if this goes horribly wrong," She warned them, her eyes narrowing playfully at each member of the group. She placed her foot into Matthew's clasped hands. The tall man effortlessly threw Anna up into the air and she managed to grasp hold of the windowsill. She inhaled sharply as she tried to focus all of her strength into lifting herself up and through the window. It wasn't a secret that strength had never been her greatest asset. Her muscles burned and her arms shook violently as she pulled herself up, before finally slipping silently through the open window.

Anna's eyes darted around, checking to see if anyone had heard the group. When she was sure she was alone, she cautiously leaned out of the window and beckoned the rest of the group to follow her into the manor. The first that made it into the building was Jerry, the oldest member of the small group. He had a long beard, which Anna often thought he had grown to make up for the lack of hair on his head. He was an honest and caring man, who had unfortunately been born in the rougher part of Albion. He had always had to work hard to get anywhere in life, not like those who seemed to have everything handed to them.  
"So… this is how the other half live," he murmured quietly to the girl beside him, taking in his surroundings.  
"I guess so," Anna replied, also looking around in amazement. The two were stood in a long corridor, the walls were painted a deep crimson colour, which instantly reminded Anna of the colour of blood. The walls were also covered in paintings, mainly of Reaver. Anna was somewhat shocked to see how vain the man really was.  
"I think I could fit my whole house into this corridor," Jerry said, and Anna nodded silently in agreement. The man then leaned back over the windowsill and began helping Kidd up into the manor. Anna made the decision to not even attempt to help the men get inside the manor. She was almost too weak to pull herself inside, never mind a fully-grown man who enjoyed drinking beer regularly.

Once Kidd had entered the building, Jerry carried on helping the other men through the open window as Anna continued to take in her surroundings. Being in a house as grand and as large as this instantly made her feel poor and her appearance mirrored the feeling. She wore an oversized grey shirt, that was once white. There was an array of stains covering the garment, but Anna tried to ignore them, she didn't like to imagine where they had come from. Her trousers were dark black and fitted her snuggly and had one rip on her left knee. They were tucked into her combat boots that she had stolen off a dead man a few months ago. It was the same dead man she had taken her pistol from and the weapon had been extremely useful already, especially when it came to wandering around Bowerstone Industrial at night. The rebel's hair was long, reaching down to her small waist, it had been plaited and Anna had tied it with a piece of string.

The young girl took a step towards a large cabinet that was placed opposite the window and traced her fingers lightly along the dark wood before stopping at the golden handle of a drawer. She glanced over to the men beside her to see if they had noticed what she was doing. They were busy trying to pull Matthew up through the window. Anna turned her attention back to the cabinet and slowly opened the drawer. She peered inside to see what she had discovered and staring back at her was a beautiful ring. She picked it up and examined it closely. It had one large oval ruby accompanied by a solid gold band.  
'That's got to be worth a fortune,' Anna thought to herself, her mind quickly beginning to daydream as she thought about the money she would get from selling the piece of jewellery. She thought about the food she could buy, the new clothes she would be able to afford, the house she could even possibly buy. A smile appeared on her face as she thought about the endless possibilities. Surely no one would notice if she was to steal it?  
"Anna," a voice came from behind her and she quickly slipped the ring into the pocket of her trousers before turning around to face all four men. They had all managed to enter Reaver's Manor without being caught. They had all gotten further than Anna had thought they would have, maybe Page's plan wasn't as idiotic as she had originally thought.  
"Reaver is probably sleeping, I say we head into his quarters, kill him and leg it," Jack suggested. Jack was the newest member of the Resistance and this was the first mission Page had sent him on. Anna was surprised when she heard he would be accompanying the group to Reaver's Manor, but he was incredibly strong and his strength would be useful in case the mission got ugly.  
"I agree, that's our best bet," Kidd said as the group began to creep down the long corridor as silently as they could. Anna could feel her heart beat getting faster and faster with each step she made. She let the men lead the way and she followed shortly behind, often glancing over her shoulder to check for any of Reaver's staff or guards.  
"This looks like his quarters," Jerry said, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he turned to the rest of the group. They all nodded in agreement. Kidd's hand reached out to grab hold of the door handle as a gunshot rang out. Anna felt the bullet fly past her head and hit the door the group were just about to go through.

Anna gasped loudly as she turned on her heals to come face to face with the man himself.  
"My, my, my, what have we got here?" Reaver said, cocking his eyebrow. He was speaking to the whole group but he looked solely at Anna and he did not take his dark brown eyes off her.  
"Reaver… fancy seeing you here," Anna blurted out, instantly regretting how stupid she must have sounded. Reaver chuckled in response, a wide smirk spreading across his lips.  
"Now what are we going to do with you?" He asked. Anna wasn't sure whether she was speaking to the whole group or just her. The young rebel's lips parted, but no sound came out.

"Guards!" Reaver shouted, his gun still drawn and aiming towards the group of men. Several guardsmen came stomping down the corridor, causing Anna to take her eyes off the businessman. She watched in anger as the men of the rebel group were stripped of their weapons roughly. Without thinking, Anna's hand grabbed the handle of her trusty pistol and pulled it from its holster. Reaver was on step ahead of the young rebel as he took hold of her wrist, twisting it harshly, causing Anna's pistol to fall out of her hand. The gun clattered loudly on the marble floor and Reaver kicked it far out of girl's reach. He then pushed the girl back into the wall behind her, the barrel of his gun placed under her chin while his free hand gripped her shoulder hard. She gulped loudly as she stared into Reaver's emotionless eyes.  
"Now what am I going to do with you, my little minx?" he muttered to himself, as the rest of the group were led away by the guards. Anna stayed silent, "Nothing to say now?" Reaver asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl in front of him.

Anna shook her head slightly but continued to stay silent. She was absolutely terrified of the man but was trying her hardest not to let her fear show.  
"Fine," Reaver said dramatically, lowering his pistol and sliding it back into his holster. Before Anna could make an attempt to get out of his grasp, he roughly grabbed her arm and led her down the corridor in the opposite direction to the rest of the group. Anna instantly knew they were heading towards Reaver's private quarters and she tried to dig her heels into the group. Reaver was too strong and the pair entered Reaver's bedroom.

Anna expected Reaver to have stopped walking but instead the pair headed towards a large bookshelf in the corner of the dimly lit room.  
"Where are…" Anna said quietly, her voice trailing off as the bookcase opened to reveal a staircase. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to look down the dark passage way. As Reaver led the girl down the stairs she could see the only source of light was the flame from the few torches on the walls.

When the pair reached the bottom of the stairs, Reaver pushed the door open to reveal the secret chamber. Anna's eyes widened immediately in shock. In the centre of the room was a large bed and it was surrounded by an array of different torture devices. In one corner there was an enormous cage hanging from the ceiling. Anna looked at it, realising that it was big enough to fit a person in it. The realisation caused the girl to gasp.  
"No!" Anna finally spoke as the businessman led her towards the metal enclosure, his grip tightening. She shook her head violently, trying to pull her arm from his grip but it was no use, he held her too tightly.  
"No, no, no, no," She continued to say as she stood in front of the cage. She watched as it swung from left to right slowly.  
"Yes, my dear," Reaver said, pushing her into the cage roughly.

As the rebel fell forward into the metal cage, she heard something clatter on the floor. Her head quickly turned towards the noise and she saw the ruby ring on the floor.  
"Fuck," she muttered quietly to herself. Reaver looked down at the ring on the floor before bending down to pick it up.  
"A little thief? You naughty girl," he smirked, admiring the ring in his hand before slipping it into the pocket of his trousers.  
"I.. I… can explain," Anna said, panic laced in her soft voice.  
"Yes, yes, and you will explain… everything," Reaver replied, shutting the cage door, it creaked as it closed, "Firstly, who are you, mon cheri? And what are you and that pack of brutes doing in my home?"

Anna bit her lip, unsure of how much she should reveal to him. If she gave too much away it could mean the end of the Bowerstone Resistance and also the end of a lot of her friends in the rebel group. But if she did not spill her secrets, then it could be the end of her. She would have to be careful, one wrong answer and someone could get hurt.  
"Anna," she introduced herself. That answer was going to be the easiest, "And err…"  
"Spit it out girl!"  
"They're my friends," Anna blurted out unconvincingly. The business tycoon was not impressed. His hand quickly reached for his pistol, pulling it from the holster and waving it around recklessly in an attempt to scare the young rebel. It worked.

"We were sent here," Anna spoke quietly and quickly. Reaver's smirk widened and he looked at the girl sat in the cage.  
"By who?"  
"I.. I.. can't," she replied, staring at the pistol in the man's hand, a lump forming in throat as fear flowed throughout her body, "You would kill them."  
"Would I now?" he cocked an eyebrow, aiming the gun towards her head, "So I guess I'll have to kill you instead? Such a sad, little end to a sad, little life."

Anna's eyes widened greatly in shock. If he were any other man she would call his bluff, but this was Reaver. A few days ago, she had witnessed the man publicly execute a worker just to make a point.  
"No!" she panicked, "Page. Page sent us."  
Reaver lowered his gun, satisfied with her answer. He did not think the rebel would have given away any juicy information so quickly, but she was young and in turn naïve. Maybe she would be more useful to him alive, than dead.  
"Ah, dear Page. When will that girl learn to enjoy life and stay out of my bloody business?"  
"Yeah… she does have a thing about sticking her nose where it doesn't belong," Anna replied, a hint of disdain in her voice. This caught Reaver's attention.  
"You don't like her," he stated it as a fact rather than a question. Anna simply shrugged in response. This intrigued Reaver even more. A member of the Bowerstone Resistance that hated the leader. What other secrets would she tell him? He would definitely have to keep her around for the time being, she would be useful.  
"Why, my little minx, you have intrigued me. I have decided to keep you for the time being," Reaver said happily, finally slotting his pistol back into his holster.  
"For the time being? What happens after that? You let me go?"  
"I'll probably kill you, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, hm?" he responded. Anna felt her heart skip a beat in absolute horror and fear.

The deviant's hand slipped into the pocket of his pristine, white coat, pulling out a dull, metal key. It slotted perfectly into the key whole of the cage door and he turned it to the left until there was a clicking sound. The sound indicated to both parties that the door had been locked and the rebel had been captured.  
"Let's hope the rest of your rebel group will be as useful as you, my sweet," Reaver said before exiting the room and closing the door behind him, leaving Anna alone in the cage in the dimly lit room. The young rebel felt a cocktail of emotions, she was both terrified and angry. Hopefully Page would formulate a plan to get the group out of the manor, only then would Anna forgive her for the mess she had gotten them all into.


	2. Trapped

Anna wasn't sure how long she had been trapped in the cage. The dull swing of the enclosure had rocked her to sleep on multiple occasions and because of this, her sense of time had been truly lost. The lack of windows in the dungeon like room added to the confusion about the time. The young rebel estimated that it had likely been a whole day since she and her men had been captured. This estimate was based solely on how hungry she currently was. She greatly regretted not eating breakfast before she had left Bowerstone Industrial and went on the ridiculous quest to kill Reaver.

'This is all Page's fault,' was the thought going around and around Anna's head. It was no secret that the two women disliked each other. They had never been close, they always struggled to agree on anything, and Anna constantly thought that Page was not suited to be a leader. The current situation that Anna and the four men found themselves in was another bit of proof to suggest Anna was right, Page was not a good leader. In Anna's opinion, she had quite literally sent five members of her Resistance Group to their deaths.

It was almost completely silent in the room, the only noise to keep Anna company was the sound of her belly rumbling. She groaned, placing her hand on her stomach in an attempt to make it quieter. The room seemed to be almost sound proof. Since Reaver had left the only noise she had heard were three gunshots. Worry and guilt rose up in the pit of her stomach when she heard them as she thought about who could have been shot. At first she thought it was three of the men from her rebel group, but that thought almost destroyed her. Instead she went on trying to convince herself that Reaver was doing some target practice or that a gun had accidentally gone off three times in a row. The latter seemed very unrealistic.

As the young rebel fell deeper and deeper into the thoughts inside her head, the door to the room opened and in walked Reaver. He was dressed differently to usual. He had discarded his famous top hat and was dressed completely in black.  
"So… Andrea Burton, age nineteen, born in Bowerstone Industrial to mother Clara Burton and an unknown father… how scandalous," Reaver chuckled as the girl was instantly pulled from her thoughts. She looked at the businessman, secretly taking in his beauty. His hair was styled impeccably, and his face was chiselled to perfection. Anna admitted, he was nice to look at, but it was always a shame when he opened his mouth or would pull his gun out.  
"And that's all there is to know about me," she shrugged, taking her emerald eyes off the man and looking down at her lap.  
"Now we both know that's not true, my sweet," he chuckled darkly, "There's a lot more to you, that's why I kept you alive."

Anna's eyes reunited with the deviants. Her heart began to beat faster and faster with each breath she inhaled. She hated how much this man scared her, she hated how weak he made her feel. But at the same time, what he said intrigued her greatly. She wanted to find out more. Why had he kept her alive? What did he want with her?  
"Is there?" she said, her voice coming out quieter than she had anticipated.

Reaver simply nodded before reaching into his trouser pocket and pulling out a crumpled, folded up piece of paper. The rebel's eyes watched him cautiously as he unfolded the paper.  
"Andrea Burton, wanted for the theft of," Reaver paused, letting a dark chuckle pass his lips, "My, you naughty little minx, is there anything you've not stolen?"  
He turned the poster around, letting Anna see it. They were plastered all over the city. Factory walls that were once left plain were now decorated with wanted posters for herself and her friends in the Resistance.  
"Yeah, I didn't steal your ring," Anna shot back. Amused by what she had just said, she let a small smile appear on her face, but it quickly vanished. Anna was not the only one amused by the comment, it even caused Reaver to chuckle slightly. Although for only a short moment, the businessman caught a glimpse of what the girl was really like. She was witty and fearless, this excited him greatly. If he could break down her walls, she would likely be good company.  
"That you did not," he replied, before pointing to the wanted poster, "But 200 gold from a cash register." He shook his head, pretending to be disappointed in the young rebel, but his infamous smirk never vanished from his lips.  
"Me and my friends deserve to eat just as much as everyone else."  
"Ah yes, you and your friends… those bloody revolutionaries," Reaver said, disgust laced in his voice.  
"Yes, nothing wrong in fighting for equality," Anna snapped back. The fear she felt moments ago now erased by annoyance. It had always irritated her when she was looked down upon by those more well off. They had no idea what it was like. Most of Albion's population had never had to beg for food or water. Most had never had to lie and steal just to survive, but Anna and her friends had to.  
"Hm," Reaver shrugged off her comment, completely uninterested, "Now tell me, I've heard people talking about a man… they say he's Hero," Reaver scoffed, "And he's running around Bowerstone, helping and saving people."

Anna looked at the deviant, her eyes narrowing as she thought about what he had just said. She did recall two men entering the Bowerstone Resistance Head Quarters a few days ago. One of them was a soldier, he was a large man and quite a lot older than the man who walked beside him. That man was a lot younger, likely in his early twenties. She didn't know who he was. He waltzed into the sewers, his dog following at his feet. He carried a sword and a rifle but didn't say a word as Page led both the men into the main room. She spoke to them privately but once they both left, Anna began hearing rumours about the younger man, people were saying he was a Hero.

"Does he have a dog?" Anna asked Reaver, raising an eyebrow.  
"I believe he does."  
"I haven't heard of such person," Anna lied, smirking slightly as she suddenly felt a sense of control in the situation.  
"Oh don't lie to me dear, you know who I speak of. Stop playing games and tell me who they are," Reaver demanded but Anna still had other ideas. If he wanted information from her, then she would give it him. However, she would not give it him while hungry, thirsty and trapped in a cage. This could be here way out, if he was in the mood to make deals.  
"Okay, maybe I do know. Maybe if you let me out of here, I'll tell you."

"You're making demands now?" he chuckled as an idea sprung into his head. "Fine," he said dramatically, "I'm having a party this evening and you, my sweet, are going to be my guest of honour."

Anna's eyes widened. She had never been to a party before, unless you counted the times she would go to local tavern with a group of her friend. They were more gatherings than parties though. The young rebel let herself imagine what a party hosted by Reaver would be like. Expensive food, unlimited alcohol and wealthy people. It was completely out of her comfort zone, but if it meant she would be released from the prison she currently resided in, she would have to go.  
"I've never been to a party before," she told him. Reaver looked her up and down and nodded.  
"I'm not surprised, my dear," he said, "Right first things first, you need a bath, you smell like a sewer. I'll get someone to let you out shortly, tatty-bye."

And with that Reaver strutted out of the room, leaving Anna alone with her thoughts once again. Her mind instantly drifted back to Page and the anger she felt towards her.  
'Page will pay for this,' Anna thought as she rested her eyes.


	3. The Good Life

Like countless times before, the subtle swing of the cage that enclosed her had rocked her to sleep. It had been over an hour since Reaver had abandoned Anna once more but he had promised that someone would return to release her shortly. The young rebel awoke to the sound of creaking metal. Her bright green eyes shot open to see a maid standing beside the open cage door. The maid looked to be tall and thin, her face was emotionless as she stared at Anna in the cage.  
"Master Reaver has instructed me to give you a bit of a makeover," the maid said, her stern eyes taking in every part of Anna's body, from her unkempt hair to her dirty clothes.  
"Oh right," Anna replied, slightly offended, "And who are you?"  
"Molly."

Anna nodded in acknowledgement of the name as she shuffled herself out the cage. The impact of her feet hitting the floor caused the rebel to wobble slightly. It had been a while since she had last walked and her legs were stiff and aching from being trapped in the large, metal enclosure.  
"If you'd like to follow me," Molly said politely as if the instruction was optional, but Anna knew she had choice but to do as she was told. Molly escorted Anna out of the hidden room and up the dimly lit stairs that Reaver had dragged her down the day before. They entered a room that Anna still believed to be Reaver's own bedroom.

There was a roaring fire burning from within the fireplace, warming the entire room up. In front of the flames stood a large metal bath, filled to the top with clean, hot water. Anna thought for a moment, trying to remember the last time she had a bath. It must have been weeks ago and even then the water was not particularly clean or warm. That was one of the downsides to living in the Resistance Head Quarters, it was extremely difficult to keep good hygiene.  
"First you must bathe," the maid said. Anna nodded, glancing down at the tattered fabric she wore as clothes. She began to undress by removing her gun holster from around her waist. In the commotion between Reaver and the rebels the day before, Anna had lost her gun, leaving the holster empty and useless.  
"Have you worked here long?" Anna questioned, filling the slightly awkward silence with conversation.  
"A while," Molly replied, taking the holster from the rebel, "A lot longer than most."  
"Why is that?" Anna raised an eyebrow at the comment as she slowly unbuttoned her stained shirt, beginning to feel somewhat self-conscious by the woman stood in front of her.  
"Master Reaver has a tendency to shoot those who disappoint him," the maid replied coldly.  
"Why would you want to work for a man like that?" was all Anna managed to say, feeling completely on edge and unnerved. She could feel a large lump build in her throat and she swallowed hard. A million and one thoughts seemed to fly through Anna's head as she tried to comprehend the situation she was in. It didn't take a genius to realise she would have to go through with the party, no matter what. Nothing could be as bad as staring down the barrel of Reaver's pistol.  
"It pays well and you get a lot of… bonuses," Molly said, a slight smirk gracing her thin lips. Although Anna was young and naïve, she understood the maid's reference. The rebel simply scrunched her nose up in disgust. "Although I must say, Master Reaver seems to be quite keen on you."  
"What makes you say that?" Anna replied, taken aback by the comment.  
"He's treated you a lot nicer than your friends."  
"Why? What's he done to them?" The rebel asked in panic. Thoughts and images of what could have happened to her friends flew around her head. She thought being locked in a cage was bad enough, she despised thinking about what could have happened to the other Resistance fighters.  
"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. Now come on, if we keep standing around chit chatting you won't be ready in time for the party. Get in the water, I'll be back shortly with a sponge and soap."

Anna watched as the maid exited the room, leaving her completely alone. Despite it being the middle of the day, the curtains in the room were drawn and the main light source came from the fire. Reaver's bedroom was large, but it lacked furniture. Aside from the bathtub, there was a huge bed, two arms chairs and a few cupboards. But despite the lack of furnishings, the room did look exceptionally grand. Anna didn't expect anything less from Reaver though. There were also several paintings decorating the dark red walls and upon one wall was a huge mirror in an exceptionally, magnificent, gold frame. Anna looked at herself and frowned at her appearance. In the dim light she could still make out her thin and battered body, all a result of the life she lived in poverty.

The rebel couldn't deny, the bath looked incredibly inviting as the steam swirled above the water. Once Anna had kicked off her boots and finished removing the remainder of her clothes, she reached for the worn piece of string that kept her long plaited hair in tack. She pulled it gently and her plaited hair quickly loosened, now falling in soft waves. She stepped over to the metal tub and climbed into the hot water, letting it completely submerge her body. The feeling almost felt euphoric as she relaxed back in the tub. She had never felt anything quite like it, the feeling of warmth and relaxation.

Molly soon returned to the room carrying a sponge and a bar of soap and handed them to the young rebel. Anna promptly began using the two objects to clean her body. She was half impressed and half embarrassed by the amount of dirt and grime that came off her slender body. The once clean water quickly changed to resemble that of the Bowerstone Sewer. The girl continued to scrub and lather the soap on her body until no more dirt came off.  
"I smell like a field of flowers," Anna mumbled in annoyance, not impressed by the feminine smell.  
"Well it's much better than smelling like a toilet," Molly replied, handing Anna a dark red towel. She took it and hastily wrapped it around her naked body as she exited the bath. The maid gave her a quick smile, revealing a gap between her two front teeth.

"I have selected a dress for you to wear tonight," Molly continued as she walked over to the bed to retrieve the garment. On returning, she held the dress up, allowing for Anna to see it. Her emerald green eyes widened as she looked over the dress, she had never seen anything as elegant. The main colour of the costume was burgundy and it had black lace trim.  
"I've never seen anything like it," Anna said in awe.  
"I thought you might say something like that."

Anna shot the maid a small smile before returning to the task of drying herself. It didn't take long for her body to dry completely.  
"Right, now, once you've got your dress on I can start on your hair and makeup," the maid announced, glancing towards the windows. There was a small crack in the drawn curtains, allowing for a golden beam of light to penetrate the room. It looked like the sun was beginning to set over Millfields.

Molly placed the dress on one of the armchairs and fetched some undergarments for Anna to put on first. Once the young rebel had, the maid helped her get into the dress, pulling it up her small frame and ensuring it fit her correctly before beginning to tighten the corset strings. Anna had never felt anything like it. With each pull of the strings, Anna found it harder and harder to breathe.

"I can't bloody breathe," Anna gasped, her hand clutching her stomach as she felt her waist get smaller and smaller. The corset not only shrunk her waist, but pushed her breasts together forcefully, making her cleavage extremely obvious to all who would see her. She did not know who would be attending this party Reaver was hosting and the way she was now dressed made her feel somewhat vulnerable.  
"You're being dramatic," Molly replied, pulling the corset strings one last time before tying them.

The applying of the makeup was an extremely strange experience for Anna. Never in her life had she worn the stuff and as Molly applied it, Anna was happy she never had bothered with it. Every inch of her face was being poked or prodded by brushes or pencils. It made her wonder what Molly was doing to her face and whether it would even look good once completed.  
"One more thing for makeup," Molly said as she waved a lipstick in front of Anna's face. The rebel's nose instantly scrunched up in disgust as the lid to the lipstick was removed, revealing it to be a dark red colour.  
"Oh, that won't suit me," Anna commented.  
"You don't know what suits you and what doesn't, it'll look lovely on you," Molly reassured her as she went about apply the lipstick to Anna's plump lips.

"Now for hair," Molly walked around to the back of Anna and ran her fingers through the girl's dark wavy locks. "I'm thinking an up do!"

Before Anna could mutter a word in objection, Molly began scraping her long hair into a bun and securing it in place with a diamond encrusted hair grip.  
"Just a few finishing touches," the maid mumbled as she placed a diamond necklace around Anna's neck, fastening it effortless. She then proceeded to hand the rebel a pair of long black gloves and a pair of black heels. She put both on without complaining.

Molly looked the girl up and down and a small smile graced her lips.  
"Much better," she commented as Anna made her way to the mirror to inspect what Molly had done to her. The rebel's eyes widened in shock as she took in her new appearance.  
"Wow," was the only word Anna could find to say. The girl staring back at her in the mirror was unrecognisable. She looked wealthy and sophisticated. She looked like the girl Anna dreamt she would one day be. The way she looked instantly made her feel more confident about the party she was about to walk into and the night that was ahead of her.


	4. Into the Wolves' Den

There was a quiet tap upon the bedroom door and a voice spoke loudly, "Is she ready? Almost all the guests have arrived." The voice belonged to a man with a strong lisp, in particular when pronouncing his 'r's.  
"Yes, we're all done," Molly replied, still looking over Anna and smiling at the transformation. The bedroom door opened and in walked the man. He was short and was dressed in a butler's uniform.  
"Wonderful, no one would suspect your one of those annoying rebels now," he said, looking over Anna, it instantly made her feel uncomfortable.  
"Err… thanks?" she replied, somewhat offended by the butler's comment, "I am still part of the Resistance Group though."

The ginger butler ignored her comment and continued speaking, "Master Reaver has given me this for you to wear," he held up a black masquerade mask. The mask had a lace effect with small diamond detailing. Anna hesitated before taking the mask from the butler. She held it up to her face and allowed Molly to tie the ribbon behind her head to keep it in place.

Once she was wearing the mask, the short man gestured for her to leave the room with him. Anna did so, walking out of the bedroom and entering the corridor. She paused for a moment. This was where her and the other Resistance Fighters had entered the manor and also been caught.  
"So, Anna is it?" the butler asked as the couple walked down the corridor.  
"Err yes," she said quietly. With each step they took, Anna began to feel more and more nervous. She wasn't a fan of large social events anyway, never mind one attended by wealthy aristocrats.  
"That's a pretty name for a pretty lady," the butler smirked, causing Anna to pull a face in disgust. The man didn't seem to notice or mind as he continued, "I'm Barry Hatch, faithful servant to Master Reaver."  
"How lovely," Anna mumbled, clearly uninterested in the conversation.

The sound of music and laughter could now be heard, and it grew louder and louder as the couple approached the door.  
"Oh you'll have such a good time," Barry said, turning to the young rebel with a cheeky smile. Anna nodded in agreement, but she highly doubted the party would be a good time for her. The butler continued, "if you need anything at all, just let me know." The emphasis the man put of the words 'at all' sent a shiver up the rebel's spine. She wasn't surprised a man as provocative as Reaver would hire staff with a similar mindset.

Barry took hold of the golden door handle and pushed open the door, revealing the room to Anna. It was a dining room, with a long table in the middle. Guests were situated on either side and were talking and laughing as a small band played music in the corner. At the head of the table sat the man himself, Reaver. The man was dressed completely in white and was wearing his infamous top hat upon his head. He too wore a masquerade mask, so did all the guests that sat at the table. Reaver's mask instantly reminded Anna of a bird, a raven to be precise, a bird associated closely with death. How fitting for a man like Reaver. He was speaking to a man sat close to him, looking completely uninterested in the conversation.

Anna inhaled sharply and stepped into the room. Her eyes instantly darted to the floor upon entering as she felt the room's eyes fall upon her. She was hoping to slip into the party unnoticed, but that plan now seemed harder than she had originally thought.  
"Ah, ladies and gentleman," Reaver spoke loudly. Anna's eyes followed the sound of the voice. Reaver was stood up and looking directly at her, just like his guests were doing, "My guest of honour tonight, Lady Andrea Burton," Reaver chuckled darkly, before gesturing to the seat beside him, "Mon cheri, if you please."

The young rebel nodded once and began walking towards the seat. As she passed the guests in their seats she could hear them whispering and snickering. A quick glance to the group, revealed many men gawking at her and many women glaring at her judgingly.  
'If I wasn't already on edge,' she thought to herself. It was to no one's surprise that Anna had never wore heels before, never mind walked in them, so she focused all her attention on each step she took, ignoring the glares she could feel and the whispers she could hear.

"Why's everyone looking at me?" she asked Reaver quietly as she took her seat beside him. He chuckled lightly, analysing his guests that were sat around the table.  
"My dear, let's not pretend you're not the most stunning woman in the room," Reaver replied, his eyes straying from his guests to meet the rebel's. Her cheeks had flushed a light pink colour from his compliment.  
"I'm not going to sleep with you, y'know?" Anna told him bluntly. She reached for the glass goblet that sat in front of her, bringing it to her lips and sipping the dark red liquid.  
"Why? Have you got eyes for someone else?" Reaver smirked darkly, gesturing to the guests that sat at his table. Anna turned to look at each of them before reuniting her gaze with the business tycoon.  
"No," she muttered, her eyebrows furrowing as she frowned, "I have taste."  
"Clearly not, my dear," Reaver chuckled, turning his attention away from the rebel. Anna narrowed her eyes at the man. He conjured so many emotions and feelings inside her, a mix of fear, of anger and of annoyance. She rolled her eyes, biting her tongue to avoid saying anything.

"You're a new face," a man who was sat on the other side of her said. She turned her attention to him. He was a lot older than her and was dressed in a green suit. He had a dark head of hair and thick moustache that reminded Anna of a squirrel's tale. The rebel fought back a snicker as she took in his appearance.  
"How observant," she replied to him, trying to mask the fear and nerves she felt in the situation.  
"Indeed I am. So, where do you know Reaver from?"  
"Err," she bit her lip as she thought. She couldn't just reveal to the man who she was and that she had met Reaver while breaking into his manor and attempting to murder him, "We kind of just ran into each other once."  
"And are you his?" the man asked. Anna raised her eyebrows in astonishment, what a strange question for that man to ask.  
"Excuse me? No I am-" she was cut off.  
"Yes, she very well is," Reaver announced, annoyance laced strongly in his voice. "You may try your efforts with someone else."

The man nodded, his attention quickly diverting from Anna. The rebel turned her head to look at Reaver, completely in shock by what he had just said.  
"I don't belong to you."  
"Hm," he took hold of her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes, "A very bold statement for someone who has spent the past couple of days in a cage, maybe I'll have to put you back in there once the party's over."

Anna felt her stomach drop.

"I just want to go home," she mumbled. Reaver didn't let go of her chin, instead he tilted his head and smirked widely like a Cheshire cat.  
"And where is home, mon cheri?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Anna instantly knew what she had said, he was trying to find out where the rebel base was. He must have guessed that's where she resided. She gulped loudly.  
"That's a secret," Anna's voice was shaky, which only caused the deviant to smirk more. He pushed her chin to the side, exposing her neck. Reaver leaned in and Anna could feel his hot breath against her ear.  
"I promise I won't tell our dear King Logan," Reaver whispered in her ear.  
"I don't believe you," Anna said through gritted teeth. She didn't want anyone to be this close to her, especially Reaver.  
"Hm," the businessman chuckled, playfully biting her earlobe before pulling away. Reaver's hungry eyes met hers and she instantly looked away.

The awkward situation was cut short by the waiters bringing in food. A large plate of food was placed in front of Anna and she was instantly reminded of how long it had been since she had last eaten. She had never seen so much food in front of her and as the rest of the guests began eating, she began too. The conversations at the table were incredibly dull for the young rebel but she acted as if she was interested. Reaver spoke of his business, his money and wealth and of his adventures. What he said of his adventures sparked Anna's curiosity, the man had seemed to have done a lot in his short life. The rebel estimated that he must only be around thirty.

It came at no surprise to the young rebel that she finished her dinner first. She had been absolutely starving and she couldn't restrain herself from devouring the entire plate of food. She picked the chalice of wine up and sat back in her chair, sipping the drink to wash down her food and also calm her nerves some more. This was the rebel's first time trying wine. The drink was hard to come by in the slums of Bowerstone Industrial. The tavern's there sold a range of watered-down beers, all of them equally as rancid.

It didn't take long for Anna's mind to wonder to her friends from the Industrial Area, Kidd, Matthew, Jerry and Jack. Throughout her entire captivity she thought about where they were and if they were okay. She prayed they were okay. Her eyes wandered to Reaver, he looked as smug as ever as he laughed and joked with his guests. He created a burning anger in the pit of Anna's stomach. What had he done to her friends that were captured? Why was she invited to the party and they were not?  
"Where are my friends, Reaver?" she couldn't keep wandering any longer. Reaver turned to her, his usual smirk on his face.  
"That's a secret," he said mockingly, copying her earlier reply to him.  
"Don't play games with me."  
"But why ever not, my little minx?"

Reaver reached out, taking the glass of wine from her small hands and bringing it to his lips. He quickly emptied the contents of the chalice down his throat. The businessman placed the empty glass on the table before grabbing Anna's wrist. With one swift moment, he pulled the rebel from her chair and into his lap.  
"Reaver," she said through gritted teeth. The man chuckled, unphased by her aggressive tone. He stroked her cheek with the back of his gloved hand while his arm snaked around her tiny waist.  
"Anna," he drawled, slowly looking over her body. Anna watched him intensely, nerves growing in the pit of her stomach.  
"W-what are you d-doing?" she stuttered as his free hand brushed over her exposed cleavage.  
"Playing, my little rebel," he replied, he smirked wolfishly. Anna's breath caught in her throat as she gulped hard.  
"But I'm not a toy," she said weakly as their eyes met. Reaver could see how scared Anna was and it amused him greatly. He loved being in control, having the power over her.  
"My sweet," Reaver spoke softly, "You're my little toy."

"Master Reaver," a familiar voice was heard. Both Reaver and Anna turned their heads to see the ginger butler from earlier stood there. Anna almost sighed in relief, she wasn't sure what Reaver had been planning to do with her.  
"What is it, Hatch?" he said impaitantly, cocking one eyebrow. The butler, leaned down to Reaver, whispering something in his ear. Anna frowned at the two, unable to hear what they said.

"Ah, very good, Hatch. You know what to do now," Reaver said, allowing Barry to exit the room. Before Anna had the chance to question the deviant on the secretive conversation, he shoved her from his lap, causing her to land on the floor. She gasped, glaring at him angrily as he rose from his chair. He tapped his cane on the marble floor, the echoing sound grabbing the guests' attention.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, and Anna," he looked down at the rebel, smirking darkly before shifting his attention back to the guests, "I promised you an entertaining night and I've just been informed the entertainment has arrived. Now if you will make your way to the balcony of the ballroom. I am sure we will all be in for a truly memorable night," he chuckled.

The guests smiled and began talking excitedly as they began to leave the room. Anna rose to her feet, wobbling slightly as she did.  
'Wine is a lot stronger than beer,' she thought to herself as she followed the crowd of people.


	5. Backstabber

The ballroom was completely empty, apart from a large cage that was placed in the middle of the room. It reminded Anna of the one she had spent the past day trapped in. There was a man stood within the metal enclosure, he was grasping the bars, a panic expression spread across his face. The young rebel recognised who it was instantly, it was Kidd. Her lips parted to shout his name, but no sound came out. She feared drawing attention to herself, she didn't want Reaver's guests knowing who she was. They may demand she be thrown in the cage alongside Kidd.

The rebel remained at the back of the crowd as they all gawked and sneered at the man in the cage. As they did so, she began to think where the other members of her small group were. Could Reaver have killed them? Most likely, but it didn't entirely make sense why he had left herself and Kidd alive.

Suddenly, the ballroom doors burst open and in ran two people, a man and a woman, dressed similarly to those attending the party. Despite the mask covering her face, Anna recognised the woman almost immediately, it was Page. She narrowed her eyes at the woman, bitterness and rage overwhelming the young rebel. It was because of Page that Anna was now in this mess.

"There's one of my men," Page announced, pointing at Kidd in the cage. Neither Page or the mystery man beside her had realised that there was a party of people standing on the balcony watching them.

Reaver stood in the front of the group, giving him the best view of the events unfolding below. He turned his head to Anna and beckoned her over. Without objecting, Anna walked towards him. Her eyes stayed glued to the cage where Kidd was trapped, and her mind continued to think about the rest of her friends and Page's role in their capture.

"Kidd, are you alright-" Page was cut off.  
"Get out now!" he shouted at the couple but they made no attempt to leave.  
"Where are the others?" Page questioned him.  
"All dead. Reaver knew you'd come. He's been waiting for you!"  
"What?!"

Anna felt her heart sink. They were dead. While she had been eating expensive food and sipping exquisite wine, her friends had been dead. She wasn't sure who to blame. Reaver was the one who pulled the trigger, but it was due to Page that they were in the line of fire. The Rebel Leader had sent her own men to die in cold blood. She was someone who had always prided herself on being care and wanting equality, but she was no better than Reaver was. Anna's jaw clenched as she fought the anger that built up inside her.

"I'll get him out," the man announced, grasping the cage bars. As if on queue the cage began to rise from the floor, lifting the mystery man into the air. He groaned, his teeth gritted, as he held on tightly, pulling himself up. Anna forced herself to look away from the Rebel Leader, watching as the man held onto the metal enclosure. He sure was strong, but there was very little chance he'd actually be able to free Kidd.

"My, my, my, more little busy bees here to steal Reaver's honey. So industrious. So committed. So bloody annoying. When will you people learn to enjoy life?" Reaver finally spoke, a smug expression plastered across his face.

"I'll enjoy killing you. Does that count?" Page spat back at the business tycoon.

"Oh, you're just full of spunk, aren't you? Just like your little friend here," Reaver smirked, his arm snaking around Anna's waist as he pulled her towards him. A gasp left the young rebel's lips as she was once again under Reaver's control.

"Anna!" Page exclaimed, but she got no reply from the girl. All Anna could feel for the woman was hatred and it burned strongly inside her. Reaver glanced at the young rebel in his arms, instantly reading the anger that spread across her face.

"And now, as promised, the evening's piece de la resistance. Another piece of the resistance," Reaver chuckled darkly as he pulled a leaver with his free hand, instantly causing the cage to halt, "Voila!"

Due the sudden stop of the metal enclosure, the mysterious man's grip gave way and he fell to the floor. Both Anna and Reaver, looked at the rebel in the cage but their stares were opposites. Anna looked at Kidd with a sad and scared expression, whereas Reaver watched him like he was captured prey. He raised his gloved hand and waved mockingly at Kidd.

The business tycoon's attention quickly diverted to the couple who stood in the ball room, "Do try to put on a good show for my guests, won't you?"

"Show? You expect us to entertain you?" Page exclaimed in shock, clenching her fists in rage.

"But of course. It's just a game, my little sweet," Reaver drawled. Releasing Anna from his grasp, he stepped forward and gestured to the large wheel on ballroom wall. It was solid gold and had a dial in the middle that when spun would point at a range of different pictures. The wheel was clearly visible to Page and the man below, but Anna and the other guests could barely see it at all.

"The Wheel of Misfortune," Reaver announced, "It's rather simple. I spin, you die, we watch. Really, it's… it's a riot."

Reaver let out a dark laugh, tapping his cane upon the marble floor, the dial span and the game began.

Anna had never seen so much blood and carnage before, and with each round that passed it increased. Page and the man fought through packs of Hobbes, which were another new sight for Anna. She'd heard of the short, bulging creatures that dwelled in caves all over Albion, but she had never seen one in person until now. They were incredibly ugly things, but at the same time, rather amusing things too.

Both Page and the unknown man made it through the Hobbe round without a scratch. Anna was somewhat surprised by the fact, she had never seen Page as much of a fighter. She was always better behind the scenes, planning and formulating ideas.

The carnage did not end with the Hobbes, it progressed to harder enemies but the couple came out alive each time.

"Enough, Reaver!" Page panted, clearly exhausted by the amount of fighting and killing.

"You holier-than-thou idealists, always thinking in the simplest, most binary of ways. But I quite agree. This game grows tiresome. And my guests, they grow… restless."

Behind the crowd stood Barry, the ginger butler that Anna had made the acquaintance of earlier. He had enjoyed watching the entertainment, along with the rest of Reaver's guests but even he was growing bored of the endless fighting. He turned his attention to the lady stood next to him. She had a sour look on her face as she watched the rebels below.

"No need to get restless, sweetheart. Barry Hatch is here to take care of you. Fancy a quick jig?" Barry suggested, taking hold of her hand and casually spinning her away from him. As they danced, Barry's heard turned away from his partner as she changed in a way that Anna had never seen before. Her entire body began to grow hair as it morphed and changed into something unhuman.

"You're a rough one, aint ya? I like that in a woman You're just…," Barry turned to face his dance partner who had completely transitioned into a monster. Before the butler had chance to react the transformed guest leaped upon him, teeth bared and ready to kill, "What?! Reaver! Reaver! Help!" Barry wailed as he was savaged to death.

"Oh, dear. Do you brutes have any idea how hard it is to find good staff? Still, one might as well enjoy the show. What's the use of a secret society without a little secret, after all," Reaver chuckled darkly as all the guests but him and Anna had transformed into the wolf like beasts, known only as Balverines.

Although Anna thought of Reaver as a monster, he seemed to be less of a monster in the current situation and because of that, she found herself edging close to him. The two of them watched as Page and the Prince slaughtered the Balverines, one by one.

"This is the last party I take you to," The Prince said to Page, panting from all the fighting he had just done. As he spoke, the last Balverine appeared behind him. Teeth and claws ready for the kill.

"Look out!" Page shouted, pointing her gun and pulling the trigger with no warning. The beast fell backwards, collapsing in a pool of its own blood.

"Well, I must say, you've made me out to be a somewhat poor host. Rather rude of you to dispose of almost all my guests."

"Now it's your turn, Reaver," Page announced.

The silver bullet left the barrel of Page's gun and time suddenly seemed to move slowly. Anna's eyes widened as bullet cut through the air, coming directly towards her and Reaver. Without pausing to think, she buried her head in Reaver's chest, attempting to shield herself from a potential bullet hole. But the pain she anticipated never arrived. With one swift, effortless movement, Reaver raised his cane, miraculously knocking the bullet off course. There was a 'ding' when the two metals collided and Anna cautiously pulled away from the deviant, astonished by what had just happened. Reaver didn't seem bothered at all.

"Oh, my dear girl, why not stop all this bickering? We could all go up to my quarters and have a private party," Reaver suggested, unphased by the attempt that had been made on his life.

"Do you have any idea who this is? It's Logan's brother. The Prince," Page announced. Anna looked down at the mystery man, realising he must have been the man who had entered the Resistance Headquarters recently. The man Reaver had asked her about, the Hero. The young rebel had known of his Hero status but not of his royal connection. Although it did make sense to her, before Logan became king, Albion was ruled by the Hero Queen. It was no surprise that the Prince, her son, was also a Hero.

"The King's brother, a bona fide Hero. Well, I wouldn't dream of coming between siblings," Reaver paused, taking hold of Anna's wrist and casually leading her out of the room, continuing to ramble as he did so, "Well, that's not strictly true… There was that time… Anyway, best of luck with this whole revolution lark. Perhaps we'll meet again one day. Tatty-bye."

As the door swung close behind Reaver and Anna, another gun shot was heard, causing Anna to flinch. She was flabbergasted by Page's thoughtless attempts at shooting Reaver. The young rebel could not quite believe it. Page was not overly skilled with a pistol, she could have easily missed Reaver and hit Anna instead.

"That bitch shot at me," she said through gritted teeth. The anger that Anna had previously felt for Page had magnified.

"Actually, my dear, she shot me," Reaver corrected her as he continued to lead her down the twisting corridors in his manor.

"Well, Page hasn't got the best of shots, she could have killed me!" Anna exclaimed. The businessman continued to be unphased by the whole situation as he softly chuckled at Anna's remark.

As Anna let the events of the night replay in her mind, she paid little thought to where Reaver was taking her. She'd had hoped that Page would have attempted to rescue her, but instead she'd attempted to kill her. No matter what Reaver said, that bullet was a lot more likely to hit her than him.

She suddenly snapped out of her thoughts as Reaver led her through a door and into the dimly lit room she had gotten ready in. As they walked in, he released her from his grip.

"Stay," he instructed before exiting the room and closing the door behind her. She heard the turning of a key and a lock click and the overwhelming sense of dread came flooding back. Anna had managed to survive the night, but she was still trapped in Reaver's Manor and still under his complete control.


	6. A Night to Forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains sexual scenes, if you don't want to read then skip to the next chapter :)

'Stay' was what Reaver had instructed her to do before he exited the room. She had been returned to the room in which she had gotten ready for the god-awful party. It was Reaver's own private bedroom. Very stylish but felt oddly cold and empty, despite the warm colours and roaring fire. The young rebel's eyes scanned the room, taking in every aspect of it. Hoping she would find a way out. Time was of the essence and she knew she had to make her escape quickly. The window was likely to be the quickest and easiest option, so she made her way to the curtains, pulling them back to reveal a large window. It dark outside, the moon giving Millfields its only bit of light.

To Anna's surprise, she managed to open the window somewhat effortlessly. She leaned forward, looking down into the garden below. It was going to hurt, that was no secret, but if she were to land upon one of the manicured hedges, it would hurt a lot less. Carefully, she lifted one leg up and over the window frame, noting to herself at how difficult a dress made this particular activity. What she did not note though was the bedroom door reopening, and one powerful aristocrat return. He was dressed much more casually. He had returned without his masquerade mask, his hat and his fur lined coat.

Reaver spotted the escape artist instantly and he swiftly and silently made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her small waist and pulling her from the window. She kicked and thrashed in an attempt to get free from his grip, but it was no use. He was far too strong.

"And just what do you think you're doing, my dear?" He asked it as a question, but Anna knew he needed no answer. Reaver was most certainly the type of man to always be at least one step ahead, and he definitely was with Anna. He placed the rebel down in front of him, looking down at her.

"I want to go home," she stated, crossing her arms in anger. What was causing her anger, Anna couldn't quite work out. Perhaps it was a mixture of all the recent events. Her being stuck here, Page's betrayal and having to be in the same room as a man she despised.

"Hm, I don't think I'm ready to let you go just yet," Reaver replied, taking a step forward and closing the gap between the two of them.

"Well I'm not going to make my time here enjoyable for you," Anna spat back, glaring up at the man who towered over her. Usually she would feel extremely intimidated in a situation like this, but currently her temper was determining her feelings. Reaver returned her look, a smirk gracing his lips as he grabbed hold of her arm, gripping it tightly.

"In that case, you can spend another night in the cage. Then perhaps your attitude will change," he spoke so plainly about it, but he could see the fear and panic that spread across the rebel's face.

"No, no, no," she objected, shaking her head as he began to drag her towards the secret chamber where she had spent the last couple of days. Despite her protest and struggle, Reaver was still managing to pull her across the room and towards the secret door.

It was at the moment that Anna let her stupidity and panic take over her rationale thoughts. She couldn't afford to spend another night trapped within the metal confinements of the cage. If that meant she had to dance with the devil, then so be it. With the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the rebel grabbed hold of Reaver's black shirt, pulling him towards her so that her lips could collide with his.

The second their lips met, Reaver's body stiffened up as if Anna had caught him completely off guard. Perhaps she did. But it took only moments for the deviant to come to his senses, releasing Anna's arm from his iron grip and returning the kiss. The kiss began rather passionately and quickly became more and more heated. Reaver's arms wrapped around Anna so he could begin untying the strings that held her corset together. At first, he untied the strings carefully, but it wasn't long until desire overwhelmed him and ripped the fabric from her body, leaving Anna completely exposed to him.

The kiss was broken for moments as Reaver admired the uncovered rebel that now stood before him.

"Mon magnifique rebelle," he said softly. Although Anna was unsure of what he had said, it still caused her cheeks to flush a light pink colour. Even though she detested the businessman in front of her, she felt completely vulnerable under his watch. With each passing moment, Anna could feel her heart beat faster and faster. She wanted so bad to stop but she knew that to gain her freedom she would have to play the game as well as Reaver himself.

Their lips soon reconnected. Reaver's kiss was hungry and controlling and it didn't take long for Anna to find herself falling back onto his bed. Her piercing green eyes stared up at the man, watching as he removed his shirt. Although she would never admit it aloud, there was no denying how gorgeous Reaver's body was. Perfectly toned, athletic physique. Reaver's lips curled into his infamous smirk as he watched the young rebel admire his body.

"How long you gonna leave a girl waiting?" Anna asked, her eyes reconnecting with his. The deviant simply chuckled before removing his gun from the holster around his waist. Instantly, Anna's body stiffened. Could he see she wasn't being truly honest? Surely not, she'd always been quite good at faking her affection for people. It had been several years since the young rebel had joined the Bowerstone Resistance and Page hadn't uncovered how much Anna truly disliked her. Could Reaver really sense her hatred for him, just from her kiss? The gun in his hand said it was likely he could.

Anna braced herself for the life-ending shot, but it never came. The deviant removed the holster belt from around his waist, tossing it carelessly aside. His attention then returned to the naked rebel in his bed. Tonight's events had taken an unexpected turn, but Reaver wasn't going to complain about it.

Reaver climbed on top of Anna and just like before, their lips reconnecting. But this kiss was only brief and short as the deviant's attention turned to the rebel's body. He began planting slow kisses along her exposed chest. His kiss trailed down her body, causing Anna to involuntarily let a moan escape her lips. Reaver paused for a moment and Anna could feel him smirk against her skin before swiftly removing the black panties she wore. Her eyes darted down to see Reaver had situated himself between her legs. Although she wore a poker face, she could feel her stomach doing somersaults due to the nerves. This was definitely not an ideal situation for a member of the Bowerstone Resistance to be in but if it kept Anna from being caged up again then so be it.

Reaver lowered his head to Anna's most intimate area and her eyes naturally fluttered close as she let herself go. Tomorrow was the time for regrets, tonight was about doing what she had to do to survive. The deviant's tongue slowly licked up and down her clit, causing another soft moan to escape Anna's lips. In all her life, she had never felt a sensation quite like it. Sex wasn't anything new to her, she had her fair share of drunken hook-ups over the years but the burning sensation that began to build in her stomach was new. The feeling completely replaced the butterflies she had previously felt. Never had a man cared much about her pleasure, they always focussed on their own.

Reaver continued to slowly pleasure the young rebel, Anna could feel herself melting under his touch. Without even thinking, her hand reached for his perfectly styled hair, tangling her fingers in it as the pleasure began to mount.

"Reaver," she moaned his name softly, which caused him to stop pleasuring her with his tongue. Anna felt Reaver run his tongue up the inside of her thigh as he pulled away.  
"You taste delicious," he told her, instantly causing the young rebel to blush.

Anna stayed sprawled out on his bed and he couldn't help but admire her in her most vulnerable form. The deviant began to remove the garments on the lower half of his body and Anna watched him closely. She was very aware of the pistol that lay on the bed beside her. A constant reminder that every choice and action she made had a consequence. She just had to continue to ensure that she made the right choices. The type of choices that would please the wicked man who was in control of this game.

Anna couldn't help but admire his Reaver's body again, he was perfectly toned. Her green eyes studied each aspect of his body, beginning at his head and working her way down. However, she stopped when she came across his rock-hard member, her eyes widening involuntarily. Reaver simply chuckled, amused by the girl that lay in his bed.

"Are you ready for me, my dear?" he asked her, spreading her legs apart and climbing back on top of her.  
"Of course," Anna replied as her eyes met his. Unlike earlier, Reaver's eyes were not filled with the usual emotionless hunger. Instead she could see a whirlwind of passion in them and she was completely and utterly drawn in by them. Her soft hand reached up to touch his cheek as their lips met once more. The rebel was well aware that this entire situation was wrong, but as she kissed him, it felt utterly and completely right.

The kiss continued, as Reaver pushed his hard cock into her. The sensation caused Anna to pull from the kiss, wincing in pain. He had only begun to insert himself into her but instantly stopped when it became uncomfortable.  
"I'm sorry, it hurts," Anna mumbled, completely embarrassed. Here she was, about to be bedded by the most powerful man in Albion and she was complaining his cock was hurting her. Just her luck. But in her defence, it had been quite a while since she had slept with a man. She had always found herself busy with the rebellion and even when she had some free time, the idea of taking a man back to the sewer for a hook-up didn't appeal to her.  
"It's fine, just relax," Reaver told her as he planted small, delicate kisses along her jawline. Her eyes naturally fluttered close as she felt herself almost instantly relax.

"Good girl," the deviant said softly. Reaver could feel her relaxing too so he slid his cock further in. He did this slowly so that he wouldn't cause the young girl anymore discomfort. This definitely wasn't the deviant's usual style of doing things.

When he was satisfied, he began to slowly thrust in and out of Anna. Lowering his head down into the crook of the rebel's neck, Reaver began to nibble and suck on the skin. As he did so, the pace of his thrusts began to increase, causing Anna to arch her back involuntarily. Anna wasn't sure how he did it, but every thrust managed to make her moan.

Then, in one effortless movement, Anna forced the pair to roll over. Allowing for the rebel to now take position on top as well as regain some control of the situation. A smirk graced her plump lips as she looked down at the man below, still fully inside her. She began slowly and teasingly going up and down. But it didn't take long for the pleasure begin to build inside of her again. The inner conflict she was having was beginning to get unbearable. She was so aware that what she was doing was wrong, but it felt so unbelievably good.

The two continued. Every time Anna would lower herself back down onto Reaver's hard member, he lifted his hips slightly so she could take all of him. This sent a familiar sensation through Anna's body as she threw her head back. Her once perfectly styled hair, now cascading down her back.

The sensation continued to grow within her as her pace increased, bouncing up and down on his full length. It didn't take long for Reaver to take back control of the situation. With his hands steady on her hips, he began to thrust up into the young rebel. He could tell she was barely able to keep it together anymore.

"Are you ready to cum for me, my little rebel?" he asked her, his pace not faltering.  
"Y-yes," she replied, her breathing heavy, allowing herself to fully let go.

The rebel was hit with the overwhelming feeling of bliss. A euphoric feeling she had never felt before rushing through every inch of her body. And as she let the orgasm take over her mind and body, Reaver joined her. Tightening his grip on Anna's hips, he pulled her downwards as he thrusted up, a groan escaping his lips as he came deep inside her.

Panting heavily, Anna looked down at the man beneath her, a smug expression plastered across his face.  
"Well my dear, you're full of surprises," Reaver said, pulling himself out of the rebel.  
"Thanks…" she mumbled, unsure whether it was a compliment or not. Anna climbed off of the deviant and flopped down on the bed beside him. Her breath still heavy and her mind still spinning. Thinking straight was something that wasn't coming naturally to her. She knew whatever happened, she couldn't let the resistance group find out about what happening tonight. It was strictly between her and Reaver.

To Anna's complete surprise, she felt Reaver's strong arms wrap around her body, pulling her back towards him. She lay her head on his chest. Anna wasn't going to make a scene because the deviant wanted her close to him, even though she would have much rather slept alone than in his arms. On the bright side though, she wasn't trapped in the cage and she was more likely to escape this way.  
"Goodnight, my little rebel," Reaver mumbled.  
"Night…" Anna replied, allowing her eyes to close and her mind drift off to sleep.


	7. Get Out Alive

The morning sun shone through the crack in the blood red curtains, causing a golden beam to be cast across Anna's face. The young rebel's eyes fluttered open, squinting at the light that hit her face. She frowned slightly, annoyed that she had been awoken from her peaceful slumber. Her sleep had been completely undisturbed until this moment, and as she lay in the comfortable and warm bed, she wanted so badly to fall back into unconsciousness.

But that's when she suddenly realised where she was and who she was with. The rebel shot up like a flash. The events of last night came flooding back to the young girl as she glanced down at the man she shared the bed with. He looked so peaceful while he slept, too bad he was a monster.

Slowly and carefully, Anna climbed out of bed. This was the time to make her escape. She couldn't afford to make any noise in case she woke Reaver up.

The rebel's eyes scanned the bedroom floor for any clothes she could wear. There was no way she was going to wear last night's clothes. Wearing a big, fancy dress was something the rebel had dreamed about since she was a child. But after fulfilling her childhood dream, she didn't fancy wearing another dress again.

Luckily, it didn't take Anna long to locate her black panties and she quickly slipped them on. She paired her underwear with the shirt Reaver had been wearing. Thankfully it was long enough to give her some decency as she made her way home. Shoes were her next priority. The thought of trekking through the sewers of Bowerstone with nothing on her feet made the rebel squirm. But it so happened that the maid from previous evening, Molly, had forgotten to remove Anna's boots from the room. The tatty pair of shoes sat undisturbed in the corner of the large bedroom. A smile graced her lips, everything seemed to be coming together.

She slipped the boots on and made her way to the window. The very window she had tried to escape from the night before, the young rebel hoped this escape would go more to plan. As she passed the large mirror that hung upon the wall, she stopped for a second to take in her appearance.

'Yikes,' she thought to herself as she used her fingers to rub away last nights makeup from under her eyes. Anna quickly brushed through her hair with her fingers, removing any knots that had formed before returning her attention to her great escape.

Carefully, she pushed back the heavy curtains, revealing the window. Just as before she opened it, rather effortlessly, and began to climb out of it. The rebel braced herself to be grabbed from behind but as she clambered out of the window frame, she realised that chances of that happening were getting less and less.

The jump from Reaver's bedroom window was not as bad as Anna had anticipated. Maybe the feeling of relief and freedom masked the pain from the jump. She was well aware that her escape from the deviant's home was far from glamorous. It was more scandalous if she was being completely honest. And she was very mindful that if she ran into him again, she would more than likely be met with a gun and a bullet. But that didn't matter to her now, she was free, and she was on her way home, enjoying every moment of it.

She was glad the streets were empty; in her current attire someone might have mistaken her for a local prostitute. Though Reaver's shirt was long enough to give her some decency, she would have much rather been wearing some trousers. Speaking of his shirt, that was all Anna could smell as she made her way home. A mixture of red wine and gun powder. A strange combination, but it was quite nice, it was a shame it reminded her of Reaver.

It didn't take long until Anna caught the unmistakable scent of the Bowerstone Sewers. She smiled, knowing she was close to home. She couldn't wait to see her friends and catch up with everything she missed. Making her way through the streets lined with factories, Anna soon spotted the entrance to the Bowerstone Resistance. She opened the heavy door to the sewers and headed inside, in search of the Resistance members.

It wasn't long until she was met with 'hello's and waves, as she made her way to where she called home. It was in a side room, off the main sewer tunnel. She shared the room with quite a few other members, but she didn't mind, at least she never got lonely. Her bed was situated in the corner. It was no way near as nice as the bed at Reaver's Manor, but it was hers. The mattress was made from straw and the blanket was knitted from a rough grey wool. It beat sleeping on the streets though.

As she approached her corner in the sewer a smile graced her lips. Everything had been as she left it, even the half-emptied packet of cigarettes that lay upon her pillow, nothing had been touched.

"What do you think you're doing here?" a voice came from behind Anna. The young rebel turned on her heels to see Page standing behind her.

"Erm… nice to see you too. I live here?" Anna replied in a confused tone. She was unsure as to why Page had greeted her in such a way. She'd been expecting a hug and an apology for the entire Reaver situation.

"Not anymore you don't. You're not welcome here," Page responded, folding her arms and looking at the young rebel sternly. Shocked, Anna's eyes widened. She couldn't understand why Page would say such a thing. Throughout her time with Reaver she never spoke of the Bowerstone Resistance. Never did she give away any secrets, she cared about the rebellion too much for that.

"W-why?" was all Anna managed to say.

"You can't be trusted. Think about how many days you've spent cosied up with Reaver. Whether you meant to or not, you would have slipped up, told him something. We can't have someone like that here, not in the Resistance Head Quarters."

Was she being serious? Anna couldn't quite believe the explanation that left Page's lips. Despite their differences, the young rebel had always trusted Page to have her back, just as she did for every other member of the rebel group.

"I told him nothing…" Anna objected, shaking her head. She could feel her blood beginning to boil. Her entire body felt as if it were on fire. It was the same sensation as the night before. Page angered her so much and she could feel she was about to explode.

"I don't believe that! I saw you last night, all dressed up with Reaver and his friends. Why was everyone else shot or used as bait except you?! You must have done something." Page replied coldly.

As the conversation began to get heated it began to draw a crowd. Rebels and revolutionaries that were once minding their own business began to listen in. Their interest becoming more peaked as the conversation unfolded.

"I don't know! I told him nothing, I said nothing! You left me there and you have no fucking idea about what I had to do to escape with my life! And this is the welcome back treatment I get!"

Tears were forming in the young rebel's eyes, but she could not tell whether they were caused by sadness or anger. Perhaps it was a mixture of both emotions that raged like a storm inside her.

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Anna. If you care about the Resistance, then you should go. I'd hoped you'd understand," Page said, her voice turning softer but it didn't help the way that Anna felt.

It was at that moment that all rational thinking had left Anna. She felt totally and utterly controlled by rage, anger and betrayal. As the older woman stood in front of her, arms folded with a stern look on her face, Anna pounced. It probably wasn't the best idea, but before she could think her actions through, she had tackled Page to the floor like some wild animal. Anna's hands gripped hold of Page's dreadlocks, yanking them hard as she slammed her head against the floor. Tears streamed down the young rebel's face as she continued to attack the Resistance Leader.

"I gave you everything!" Anna screamed at her, completely blinded by rage, "I risked my life for you, for this!"

Suddenly, Anna felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her middle and pull her from Page. But despite being lifted away, Anna continued kicking and screaming. The rebel leader stared up at Anna, a mixture of shock and fear plastered on her face.

"Anna, Anna, calm down!" the man who had held of her said.

The young girl took a deep breath, her eyes still fixated on the woman in front of her. Rationale thoughts had returned to Anna and she stopped trying to fight her way back to Page. Realistically, she was out numbered and another attack on the rebel leader would likely end with Anna being shot at.

"Get her out of here Ben!" Page shouted at the man, slowly getting back to her feet.

Ben placed Anna back down on her feet but didn't release his grip on her arm.

"Come on, love," Ben said softly. Anna refused to move for a short moment before sighing deeply. There was no way she could resolve the situation now. She would have to accept her defeat for the time being.

As the two walked through the main sewer, an older, larger, man joined them. He was dressed in a soldier's uniform, similar to the one Ben was wearing.

"I didn't tell Reaver anything," Anna told them both, protesting her innocence once more.

"You have to see where Page is coming from, we have to be so careful. We are so close to overthrowing Logan," Ben explained, releasing the grip he had on Anna's arm as they got to the entrance to the sewer. The young girl looked out onto the grim sight of Bowerstone Industrial as she felt her heart sink. Never did she think she'd be back here on the streets of the city. The thought of her life without the protection of the Resistance terrified her but she would never admit it. She turned to look back at the two soldiers.

"So, is that your justification then? Put what you want and care about first, doesn't matter what happens to me? A helpless girl."

"It's nothing personal, Anna," Ben told her.

"It never is," Anna rolled her eyes, turning away from the men and beginning to walk off. As she did so she could over hear the two soldiers talking. Quickly realising the conversation could be over interest to her, she hid behind a corner. Now she could easily eaves drop on them.

"You weren't there Walter, Major Swift was executed like a bloody circus act! And he risked his life to tell us to go to Aurora? Pretty ridiculous if you ask me," Ben spoke. Anna narrowed her eyes for a moment as she thought about what he had just said. She'd never even heard of a place called Aurora.

"Ridiculous as it may seem there are allies to be found there. We must speak with the Prince, Eric, and decide a plan of action," Walter responded, his voice becoming fainter and fainter, signalling to Anna that the two were walking away. The now ex-rebel stood there for a moment longer, thinking about the conversation she had just overheard and what she was going to do with the information. For now though, her main task was to figure out a plan of her own. She was currently homeless, penniless and dressed like a prostitute. Perhaps a trip back to her former home would be the first step in rectifying her situation.


	8. Cold Blooded Woman

Even as the morning sun shone down on the house it still looked depressing. Perhaps it was the building's location that created the undesirable aura. The thick, black smoke arising from one of the nearby factories did not help the cause.

Anna stood in front of the house, her green eyes fixated on the crooked door. It had been several years since she had visited the location and nothing much had changed. There was still a crack in the downstairs window, the red painted had faded and almost and almost entirely chipped off the front door and the slates on the roof were still coming off.  
'Bet the leak's gotten worse,' Anna thought to herself while inspecting the building.

The plan was relatively simple. Enter the house, collect some belongings and leave. Anna thought back to the last 'simple' plan she had partaken in, trying to kill Reaver. A frown graced her youthful face as the memories of the past couple of days came flooding back. Maybe plans were not always as simple as they first seemed, Anna thought. But entering her childhood home to grab some belongings was bound to be easier than breaking into Reaver's house and attempting to kill him.

She began to walk, her eyes still fixated on the front door of the property. The memory of her being roughly thrown out of that very door was playing at the forefront of her mind. It had been many years since that dreadful night, yet the memory still managed to haunt her, even now.

Beside the door was a rusted metal bucket. It had been there when Anna lived there and if she was lucky, the spare key would still be hidden underneath. She carefully moved the bucket aside with her booted foot and looked down to see a dull metal key staring back up at her. Anna bent down to pick it up, brushing off the dirt that covered it before using it to unlock the front door.

The door opened with a loud creak and Anna stepped into the house. Nothing had changed on the inside either. Every bit of furniture, whether broken or not, still resided in the house.

"Hello?" Anna called, but she did not expect a response. Both her mum and stepfather should have been at work by now. Last Anna heard they had job in one of Reaver's big factories. Anna used the word 'job' very loosely in this situation as working for Reaver was more like being employed as a slave.

When she heard no reply from her call, she considered it safe to retrieve her belongings. Up the stairs Anna went, towards her old bedroom. The room was extremely small and as Anna entered it, memories from her childhood came flooding back. It wasn't the happiest time to say the least. Anna pushed the memories back to the back of her mind. There was no point in dwelling on the past now.

She needed to focus on the present, which currently involved her stuffing clothes in an old bag. Anna was very aware that clothes wouldn't get her very far in the grand scheme of things. So she planned on pick pocketing a few drunkards later that day. That way she would be able to rent a room from the tavern for the night.

Before long she had filled her bag and was making her way down the stairs. As she did, she heard the unmistakable creak of the front door.

"Fuck," Anna muttered to herself as she watched her stepfather, William, enter the building.

Before she had chance to flee back up the stairs, the man's eyes locked onto her.

"Andrea?" he said, his voice rough and croaky due to decades of smoking and excessive drinking.  
"Hi… I thought you'd be at work…" her voice trailed off.

William proceeded to enter the house, making his way to where Anna stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"They won't notice if I slip out for a couple of hours," he told her. He was no different, still the same lazy drunk Anna had always despised.  
"Don't think Reaver would be very happy if he found out."

She instantly regretted her comment, speaking of the businessman like they were friends. When in reality they'd slept together, and it was unlikely that she'd ever see him again. In all honestly, she felt no different to a common whore in that situation.

"You gonna tell him? Let me know how that goes," he laughed cruelly. Anna felt her cheeks flush a light pink with embarrassment.  
"Well uh… no," she said quietly, attempting to make her exit but the large man quickly blocked her path.  
"Leaving so soon?" he asked her, his dull grey eyes staring down at the young girl in front of him. As he spoke, Anna could smell the unforgettable stench of cheap beer on his breath.  
"Yes," she said plainly, "and you can get back to day drinking and avoiding being a decent man."

Another attempt was made by the ex-rebel to exit the building, but William stepped in front of her again.  
"And what will you be doing? Jumping into bed with the first man who offers you a gold piece? You were always a disappointment to your mother and me."

Anna rolled her eyes. She had heard it all before. William's insults were always played on a broken record player. The same old insults that she had been bombarded with throughout her childhood and teenage years.

"Better to be a disappointment than an abusive piece of shit," she spat back at the man. The uncontrollable rage quickly building within the young girl.  
"What did you say to me?" Anna's stepfather shouted at her.

He took a step towards her, instantly causing Anna to take a step backwards towards the wall. William had always used his size to intimidate and overpower those who dared to confront him. And it worked. As he continued to step towards his stepdaughter, she was forced to retreat backward until she felt the presence of the fireplace against her back. Once again, she was at the mercy of the man in control.

She had spent the past couple of days being controlled by Reaver and in this moment she wished it was Reaver stood in front of her. At least with Reaver she had a chance to talk her way out of the confrontation. William, however, was a drunkard so easily blinded by rage. There was no talking him out of what he was about to do.

Just like she'd experienced thousands of times before, Anna was met with the full force of William's rage. She saw his fist coming but before she had a chance to dodge, it collided with the side of her head. The next few seconds seemed to play in slow motion. The force of the punch caused Anna to be thrown violently to the floor. She inhaled sharply as she landed on the wooden floor. The pain from the punch caused tears to form in her emerald eyes. But through the tears the ex-rebel could make out the brass fire poker that stood beside the fireplace.

Despite the fact the room was currently spinning, Anna reached out and grabbed hold of the metal object. Luck was definitely not something she got much of in life but as she swung the metal fire poker, luck was certainly on her side.

There was a loud thud and a splatter of blood before the large man fell to the ground.

"Oh my god," Anna muttered horrified by her own actions. She slowly rose to her feet, wobbling as she did so. Once she'd made her way to her feet, she gripped hold of the mantelpiece for support. Her eyes stayed fixated on the dead man on the floor. A sickness began to grow in her stomach as she stared at him. What had she done? She'd never killed anyone before. She wasn't a killer. She wasn't a monster.

"What the fuck am I going to do?" she asked herself.

Despite her dazed state, she knew she couldn't just leave William's body to be discovered. Moving it was the only option, but Anna definitely wasn't physically fit enough to partake in such an activity. She required assistance. A sigh escaped the ex-rebel's lips. Today really wasn't her day.

Using the wall to guide her, she managed to exit her former home, slowly making her way down the street. Her mind solely focussing on getting aid.

Fortunately for Anna, the streets of Bowerstone Industrial were still fairly quiet. A majority of its residents were slaving away in nearby factories.

She stumbled through the empty streets, trying to think of where she could find some help. Usually, she would seek out help from her friends in the Bowerstone Resistance. But after she was rudely thrown out of the group, it seemed very unlikely any of them would offer her any aid.

As she continued to stagger through the Industrial Quarter, deep in her jumbled thoughts, she suddenly collided with someone. The force of the collision caused Anna to stumble backwards a few steps but her reflexes caused her to grab hold of the man's coat. Stopping herself from falling onto the dirty floor. Dazed and confused, she looked up to see the one person she never wanted to run into again.

"Anna… what happened to you?" Reaver sounded almost concerned. Well, at least he sounded concerned to the disorientated Anna. Who knows whether he really did.

"I'm fine, this isn't my blood. I need help… I killed someone and I need help."

Whether begging for Reaver's help was the best idea, Anna didn't quite know, but it did look like her only option.

"You need my help?" he looked down at the poor girl who clutched onto him so tightly. He could see she'd been hit on the side of the head and although she refused to believe it, it was her blood dripping down the side of her head.

"Yes… please. My house is… er… this way," she pointed behind her. Reaver let out a sigh. Helping someone was definitely not what he'd planned to do today (or ever to be quite frank) but perhaps he could find a way to make this benefit him.

"Fine, my dear. But answer this first. Why can't one of your little rebel friends assist you?"

"They kicked me out," Anna frowned before continuing, "Now come."

She took hold of Reaver's gloved hand and began walking back towards her house.

"You've gotten me all curious, my lovely. Why are you now unwanted in your little rebel group?" Reaver quizzed her some more.

"Because Page is a paranoid bitch," Anna replied. This comment only sparked Reaver's curiosity more. Perhaps he was right to help the ex-rebel. She would have useful information, he was certain of that, and she was now more than likely ready to tell all.

Before Reaver had the chance to interrogate the ex-rebel some more he was forced to enter Anna's family home. 'Home' was the word Anna had used to describe the building but as Reaver looked around, the term 'shack' seemed more appropriate.

"So…" Reaver's voice trailed off as both he and Anna looked around. Upon the floor, lay the blood covered firepoker but the now empty space beside it caused Anna's eyes to widen in shock.

"He was just there. I hit him and he died right there," she pointed to the empty spot on the floor.

"May I make the suggestion that he wasn't in fact dead?"

As Reaver spoke, the pair heard a noise come from the staircase. William looked just as beaten and bruised as Anna did.

"Come to finish me off?" William asked, his aggressive tone clear to both Anna and Reaver, "Couldn't even finish me off yourself. You've always been weak."

The large man made his way down the stairs, his fists clenched and murder on his mind. But instead of closing the gap between himself and his stepdaughter, he simply stopped.

Just like before, time seemed to move in slow motion. William's attention was diverted to the white, porcelain jug on the shelf. Anna had found the decorate item for sale in a small shop in Bowerstone Market many years ago. She had purchased it as a gift for her mother's birthday. Although it meant very little to her at the time, it now symbolised the once loving relationship Anna had with her mother.

As the memories replayed in Anna's mind, William lifted the jug from its home on the shelf and hurled it in Anna's direction. Though Anna saw the jug flying through the air, her entire body froze still. All she could manage to do was close her eyes tightly and brace for the impact.

Instead of the jug hitting her, it was the floor that she hit. A loud crash was heard behind her as the jug shattered into pieces. Quickly realising that Reaver had pushed her out of the way, Anna was relieved but equally greatly surprised.

"Now my dear lad, what are we all doing here? Shouldn't you be working?" Reaver asked William, seemingly unphased by the entire situation.

"Fuck you," William spat, his tone even more aggressive sounding than it had before. But as Anna sat upon the wooden floor, her head spinning and pounding from the punch she'd endured earlier, even she knew that this wasn't going to end well for William. Reaver was the one man every wise person in Albion knew to avoid, never mind antagonise. Clearly William did not get this memo.

"Wrong answer," Reaver said plainly before retrieving his pistol from its holster and firing one single shot. The bang of the gun echoed through the house as the bullet hit William straight between the eyes. An absolutely perfect shot. Anna sat still for a moment, completely in shock by the scene that just unfolded. After an entire lifetime of torment and abuse, William was gone, and she had Reaver to thank of all people.

Slowly, Anna returned to her feet, her head still spinning.

"Reaver…" the ex-rebel turned to look at her unlikely hero, but couldn't manage to focus her eyesight on him, "I don't feel very good," she suddenly blurted out before the world went black for her.

Luckily for Anna, Reaver's reflexes were fast and he caught the falling girl effortlessly in his arms.

"Now what am I going to do with you?" he asked him, looking down at the unconscious girl he held


	9. Keeping Enemies Closer

Anna's green eyes fluttered open. Instant confusion flooded her mind. Where was she? How did she get here? And why was this lady dabbing the side of her head with a wet cloth? She was laying in the comfiest double bed, covered by a soft blanket. It would be so easy for her to close her eyes and drift back into a peaceful slumber.

It was at that moment that she suddenly remembered what had happened. She shot up without any warning, causing the lady cleaning her face to drop the cloth.

"Careful Miss Anna. Your body is still mending," the lady spoke. Anna turned to look at her, noticing she was wearing a maids uniform.

"I hurt my head," Anna informed her. The young girl placed her hand to the wound on the side of her head but felt nothing. The last thing she remembered was her stepfather's first colliding with her head. The rest of her memory was made up of dream-like fragments.

"It's healed," Anna mumbled.

"Well of course it has! You did drink a health potion," the maid gestured to the empty vial on the nightstand, "you did spit most of it out but what you swallowed has seemed to do the trick."

As the maid explained the amazing world and workings of potions, the bedroom door opened and in walked Reaver.

"Good, you're awake," he said, standing at the end of the bed. He was dressed extremely posh in his white suit and top hat. Anna diverted her eyes from the maid beside her to look at the businessman, why was he here? She squinted as she attempted to access her memory again but was met with a sense of amnesia.

"I… uh… don't know what's going on," Anna admitted, her voice quiet.

"I believe your father-"

"Step-father," Anna corrected him, receiving an eye roll from the businessman. She did not want anyone to think she was related to a man like William, not through blood anyway.

"Ah yes, your step-father. You thought you'd killed him, he tried to kill you. I shot him and you passed out on me. The whole thing was all very dramatic," Reaver briefly explained, his words instantly jogging Anna's confused memory. Thinking back to the events it all suddenly seemed a little clearer to her. Gaps were still very prominent in her memory but after Reaver's brief explanation, Anna began to understand more of what had happened to her

"Thank you," she said to the deviant. William had been a terror throughout her life and the fact he was no longer a threat to Anna brought her an unbelievable amount of peace. She felt she owed Reaver for disposing of her problem.

"Well that's what friends are for," Reaver replied, perching himself on the end of the bed. The ex-rebel felt the bed shift with his weight, causing a swarm of butterflies to fill her stomach.

"Friends?" Anna raised an eyebrow, taken aback by what Reaver had just said.

"Yes friends, my dear Anna," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "And you know what friends do for each other? They do each other favours. Now you might not recall this but I saved your life when I killed that nasty step-daddy of yours. Now you owe me a favour."

Anna stared at Reaver for a moment before responding. Had he really saved her life as well as kill William? Damn, now she really felt like she owed him something in return. Despite all her better judgement she actually felt willing to help the man out. Gratitude can greatly impact a person's morals.

"Okay… but that's not exactly how friendships work though. Anyway, what do you want from me?"

Reaver turned to look Anna in the eyes, a smirk spreading across his face, instantly causing Anna to regret the gratitude she felt towards him.

"A lot of things. But first things first we're going to pay our dear King a visit."

Anna's eyes widened involuntarily. The King? Was he serious? She couldn't visit the King. If he discovered who she was he would have her executed. He'd likely make a spectacle of it too. Just as he'd done with Major Swift.

"Why?" she questioned, "Logan would have me killed if he knew who I was."

Maybe that was Reaver's plan all along, to have her killed. But as Anna considered that, she instantly realised that Reaver was most likely to shoot her dead in the bed she sat in than get someone else to do it. Perhaps she was more use to Reaver alive at the moment than dead.

"Not if you tell us what we want to hear," Reaver replied before continuing, "Now Imogen here will see to it that you're looking more… presentable."

* * *

Anna stepped out of the carriage to be greeted by the grandest, most magnificent sight she had ever seen. Bowerstone Castle. The maid, Imogen, had made her look a lot more presentable. Changing out of the blood-stained shirt and tying her long brown hair in a chignon at the back of her head. The hair was adorned with a crystal headband which complimented the light, blue dress she wore. The 'perfect attire to meet the King', the maid had informed her and as she looked at herself in the mirror, Anna quite agreed. The dress had off the shoulder sleeves that exposed Anna's chest to the delight of all the men in her presence and Imogen had applied a light covering of makeup to the ex-rebel's face. To bring out her natural beauty.

"Wow," was all she could say as she stared up at the mesmerising building in front of her.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Reaver asked her, disregarding the beauty of the castle as he began making his way up the stone stairs, towards the entrance. Anna shook her head before reluctantly following him. Despite the glorious surroundings, Anna could not escape the feeling of dread she felt.

Logan was the type of king that people feared. Each deed he committed seemed to be crueller than the last. Anna had heard what had happened to Major Swift. Accused of treason without a trial and executed like it was a circus act. Major Swift hadn't even been a real rebel, not like Anna was. If Logan had done that to a soldier, he would likely do worse to her.

As herself and Reaver walked through the castle corridors the air was cold, it sent shivers up her spine. It didn't help the fact that it felt as if Anna was making her way to her own execution.

They eventually reached a room at the end of the corridor. It was a large room with floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed the natural light to illuminate the environment. In the centre was a round table with a map of Albion depicted on the top. To the right-hand side of the room sat a large, open fireplace with two sofas in front of it. Reaver sat down on one, gesturing for Anna to join him, which she did.

"This is a bad idea," she said quietly, her eyes darting around the room as she continued to take in her surroundings.

"Yes, it may end badly for you but I'm sure I could live with that."

"You're cruel," Anna glared at him. Reaver simply chuckled in response, unphased.

Anna's attention was suddenly diverted from the man beside her when two heavily armoured guards entered the room, closely followed by the King himself. These guards were not the usual Albion soldiers, these were Logan's personal elite soldiers. Dressed head to toe in shiny, silver plate armour which contrasted alongside the purple cloth they wore. They also carried far superior weapons to the regular soldiers. Anna felt her heart drop as she watched them all enter. This was it. She really didn't know how she'd get out of this one. Both men were strong believers in the 'shoot first, ask questions later' moto.

"Reaver, glad you were able to make it," Logan said before pausing, his dark eyes falling on Anna, "Who's the girl?"

Anna remained silent.

"Andrea Burton, your majesty," Reaver introduced her. Logan narrowed his eyes at her.

"The rebel?" Logan asked, raising his eyebrows. Anna's eyes widened slightly. Of course he would know her. There were wanted posters with her face on plastered all around Bowerstone. As the King spoke the two guards raised their weapons, the barrels of their rifles pointing straight for Anna.

"Ex-rebel," Anna quickly blurted out. This instantly intrigued the King, she could tell. He raised his hands, thankfully causing the guards to lower their weapons.

"Go on," he instructed, sitting down opposite the pair.

"Well uh… I was thrown out of the Resistance group… so… yeah," Anna explained, she could barely hear herself over the sound of her own heartbeat, pumping loudly with adrenaline and fear. She sounded incredibly nervous to both the men.

"And now you're here to ask for your freedom in return for any information you have on your rebel group?" Logan asked but before Anna could reply, Reaver butted in.

"Yes, she is, your majesty."

Sitting opposite the King made Reaver seem a lot more appealing, at least at the moment. Anna's eyes naturally glanced down at her lap, instantly feeling the pressure of both men's gaze and their waiting response.

"Well, go on?" the King pressed but was only met with silence from the ex-rebel. Could she really give the Resistance secrets away and betray them in that way? Surely not.

"Let's start easy, my dear. Where are your Head Quarters hidden?" Reaver asked. But that was the one question she couldn't answer. Despite her fall out with Page, she still classed the rest of the rebels as her friends. Revealing the location to the two men would likely result in the deaths of all the Resistance members, which she couldn't live with.

"I can't say," Anna replied in a quiet voice.

"Well, what is my brother's role in this 'rebellion'?" the King asked. Another difficult question, Anna didn't know the answer to this one.

"I don't really know," she replied honestly.

"Is there anything you do know?" the King asked angrily, panicking Anna. Was there anything? She wasn't even sure. The last bit of information she had gathered from the group was the business of sailing to Aurora in search of allies. It meant very little to her so surely it would mean ever less to Logan and Reaver but it was worth a mention she supposed.

"I heard they were travelling to Aurora, looking for allies," Anna admitted. She sounded unsure about the information as she felt there was little value in it.

"What?" Logan exclaimed, his dark eyes widening in shock. Anna's eyes returned the look, taken aback by his sudden outburst.

"And how do you suppose they get there? Swim?" Reaver asked, a hint of amusement laced in his words.

"No. If I was them, I'd look at stealing a boat. Probably one of those Reaver Industries' cargo ships," Anna explained. She was confident that the rebel group would likely follow a similar plan. Reaver scoffed at Anna's explanation.

"None of my ships have been stolen, nor have I heard of anyone else losing a ship to a pack of wild rebels"

"Well I suppose they haven't left yet," Anna suggested. The suggestion alone caused a spark of outrage to flood the King's face.

"They must not make it to Aurora," Logan said, rising to his feet in a hurry, "Miss Burton, consider yourself a free citizen of Albion. I feel this bit of information will be the breakthrough we need to stop this damned rebellion."

And with that the King exited the room, his guards following closely behind him. The absence of the King gave Anna a moment to reflect. Had she really just gave her friends up to save herself? Only time would tell.

"Oh my, I must be a bad influence on you," Reaver announced, causing Anna to be dragged from her thoughts, "any other secrets you fancy sharing?"

"No. Not to you."

* * *

The carriage ride back to Reaver's Manor in Millfields was quietly uneventful. Anna stared out of the window for the majority of it, watching the houses of Bowerstone grow less and less and the forests of Millfields appear.

The cocking of a gun instantly drew Anna's attention from the scenery out the window.

"What?" she asked, inhaling sharply as she stared down the barrel of Reaver's pistol. How many times was she expected to look down a barrel of a gun today? It seemed to be getting out of hand.

"I have decided my dear that you are of no use to me now," Reaver announced. The ex-rebel's green eyes widened involuntarily; she couldn't believe that she'd fallen for Reaver's fake friendship. She felt like a complete idiot and if she didn't say something soon, she'd be a dead idiot.

"That's not true," she blurted out, not sure where she was going to go with this. Reaver cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.

"And why not, my dear?" he asked.

"I know things," she said, instantly cursing herself for how stupid that sounded, "I mean, I know people who are plotting against you."

Reaver lowed his pistol but still kept it drawn. It was clear he was intrigued. Any information that sustained his survival was useful to him.

"Go on then," he encouraged, a small smirk appearing on his lips, but this time Anna wasn't going to fall for his trick.

"Not so fast. I tell you what I know and then you'd shoot me," Anna explained her thought process and Reaver nodded once in agreement. She was learning his games rather quickly, "So how about you let me stay in your big, fancy house and I will personally deal with those who are plotting to end you?"

Reaver's eyes narrowed viciously, he disliked not having control of a conversation. This wasn't what he had planned to happen. Was she really proposing they work alongside each other? It wasn't his usual type of deal but perhaps it would be beneficial to him in more ways that one. He could not fault her looks and her knowledge of the gangs and people in the Industrial area would be useful to him. He pondered it for a moment before giving his answer.

"Deal," he said plainly, placing his gun back in his holster. Anna exhaled slowly, watching as he did so. It seemed she was making a habit of sacrificing others to save herself. Maybe Reaver was becoming a bad influence on her.

Outside, the carriage was pulling up in front of Reaver's Manor. A relief for Anna, she couldn't bear another moment alone with the deviant.

"I'm glad we have a deal, Reaver," she said, faking confidence, "But look, we're home," and with that she clambered out of the carriage before the businessman could change his mind.


	10. Gold Rush

What a life this was, Anna had never known such luxury. Rolling out of bed in the late morning and enjoying an endless amount of food for breakfast. Her mother had always told her the wealthy lived in luxury, but she had understood the true meaning of that, until now.

The sun was blazing hot today, Millfield's was in the middle of a rare heatwave. Whenever Anna had experienced the warm heat of a Summer's heatwave before she hated it. The sweat and grime that stuck to her body and the air in Bowerstone Industrial was revolting. No way of cooling down and the heat of the factories making it worse. But her current circumstances were making her a lot fonder of the weather.

Dressed completely in her somewhat scandalous loungewear, she sat by the swimming pool. The swimming pool in the garden came as a massive shock to Anna as she explored Reaver's Manor. It was a good shock though. She had never seen anything like it before.

Time had little meaning to her on days like today, she was simply enjoying sunbathing on one of the white sun lounges that resided beside the pool. Her eyes closed and her mind at peace.

Suddenly, it felt as if the sun had gone behind a cloud. Anna reluctantly open her eyes to be met with Reaver. Standing over her, he looked rather casual for once. Wearing a shirt that had been unbuttoned at the top and a pair of black trousers. He hair was still styled perfectly despite the hot weather and he wore an amused look on his face.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, eyeing the empty glass of iced tea that sat beside the lounge chair. Anna propped herself up on her elbows and smiled sweetly.

"Of course," she replied. The two had barely seen each other since the day at the castle. Reaver had been working a lot, which surprised Anna. She had never realised how much work went into running such a corrupt and appalling company like Reaver Industries. A lot of meetings and looking at books, it made little sense to her.

"Hm. Walk with me," Reaver said. It wasn't a question or a suggestion. Anna nodded once, slowly getting to her feet. Once she had, she readjusted for shorts she was wearing and straightened out her top.

Reaver began walking, heading away from the house and towards the gardens. Anna loved the gardens nearly as much as the pool. There were flowers of almost ever colour and kind and winding hedge mazes where she had gotten lost for at least an hour. There was also a beautiful fountain with a marble mermaid in the middle.

"You were right," Reaver said as the two walked down the path. Anna glanced to him, unsure of what he meant, "The rebels. They stole one of my ships and tried to make it to Aurora," Reaver explained. Anna nodded, feeling somewhat relieved that the information she had given the King had been correct.

"Were they stopped?" she asked, the feeling of guilt returning to the pit of her stomach. It seemed to burn like a strong fire and frequented her when she thought of her friends in the rebellion. No matter how many times she told herself that she had to put herself first to survive, it made the feeling now smaller.

"The ship was destroyed so the King is assuming anyone on board drowned," he said, his voice sounding unusually serious.

"And what are you assuming?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow. Reaver stopped by the fountain, looking up at the marble structure before he spoke.

"The Prince, Alec, he's a Hero. Heroes are made of strong stuff," he explained, turning to look at the ex-rebel. She was admiring the fountain, her eyes closely examining the craftsmanship.

"You say that like you've known a lot of Heroes," she said, turning to meet Reaver's gaze. The businessman simply smirked, saying nothing in return as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind Anna's ear, noticing the sprinkling of freckles she had on her nose and cheeks, likely brought out by the sun. The ex-rebel almost froze with nerves but Reaver simply stepped away amused by her reaction.

"You'll be coming with me to Bowerstone Industrial tomorrow morning. I need you to find out about a Mr Thomas Crawley, he's been causing me some bother recently," Reaver rolled his eyes, clearly more annoyed by the situation than upset.

"Oh Tom, yeah, I know him," Anna said. Thomas was an old friend of hers, but they grew distant in recent years. At one point in her life she was convinced she was very much in love with him but reflecting back on the relationship she saw now that she was simply smitten, and they worked better as friends. Last Anna heard of Thomas, he was in process of setting up a workers' union, which would be an issue for someone like Reaver.

"Wonderful, you can deal with him."

"Will that be all? I wanted to have a bath before dinner," Anna asked, conscious of the droplets of sweat that stuck to her skin. Reaver nodded slowly, his eyes wondering over her body as he imagined her having a bathe. A nice thought he admitted to himself.

"For now, that is all," he said, allowing the ex-rebel to head inside.

* * *

Bowerstone Industrial was a far cry from what Anna was getting used to in Millfields. The thick heavy smoke of the factories seemed to block out the sunlight but not the heat.

"It's too hot," Anna groaned as she stepped out of the carriage. The air felt so thick she was sure she could cut through it with a knife. Luckily for the ex-rebel, she had gotten away with not wearing a dress on this occasion. Instead, she was able to opt for a white blouse and the only pair of trousers she could find. She'd instructed her maid, Imogen, to find her some more trousers to wear. Dresses definitely were not practical for skulking through the streets of the Industrial Quarter.

"We won't be here too long, my dear," Reaver told her, climbing out afterwards, "I've just got a couple of meetings. I'll meet you back here at 2," he said before leaving her alone. She watched as the man headed towards one of his largest factories, his workers gawking in fear as he did so.

"See ya," Anna mumbled as he went before beginning her own quest, the search for Thomas Crawley. Despite knowing the streets of Bowerstone Industrial like the back of her hands she felt an overwhelming sense of uncertainty of where to begin. Many years had passed since she had crossed paths with Thomas. He once rented a room above the butchers, so it was worth starting there, Anna thought.

* * *

Anna leaned back against the factory wall as she waited for Reaver. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest and she couldn't help but let out a deep sigh in defeat. Her mission to locate Thomas Crawley had sent her on a wild goose chase, mainly from tavern to tavern. In the end he was no where to be found.

"Anna Burton? Is that you?" a cheerful voice called out from across the courtyard where she rested. Her eyes quickly darted in search of the voice and they landed upon non other than the man she had been searching for, Thomas.

"Tom!" she smiled, feeling rather relived that she had located him.

"Wow, look at you, you're doing well for yourself," he said as he approached her, wrapping his arms around her in a friendly embrace. He felt warm to Anna, and smelt strongly of smoke, soot and sweat.

"I could say the same about you," Anna replied. Quickly glancing over the man in front of her, she realised she was lying. He didn't look good; his skin was almost grey and the dark bags under his eyes made his face look almost hollow. The last time they had crossed paths she had thought of him as quite handsome. The past few years had clearly been hard on him.

"You flatter me," he said with a pleasant smile, "How many years has it been? Three? What have you been up to, fighting for the rebellion I assume?"

"Of course! And what about you?" she asked him, although she already had some idea of his recent activities.

"Well actually, I've been working on creating a workers union. Pushing strongly for fair rights and equal pay. Oh, and of course, working towards removing Reaver from his seat of power," Tom chuckled at the thought before quickly adding, "you should come to our next meeting!"

Anna's eyes suddenly lit up, this was the perfect opportunity, find out more about the union and put a quick stop to it.

"That would be perfect."

"Oh great! We currently rent a room out at the Riveter's Rest, y'know, the tavern just down the road. We've got a meeting there tomorrow evening, so you're welcome to come, and you should bring Page too. The union would be up her street for sure," Thomas said, gleaming with pride. The corners of his mouth seemed to meet his eyes as he smiled. Anna could not help but return the grin as she nodded with enthusiasm.

Thomas' smoky, grey eyes broke away from the gaze they shared as he looked towards the factory door that they stood near. Anna automatically turned to inspect the distraction. Out walked Reaver, his cane tapping on the floor in time with his step. The ex-rebel inhaled sharply as she watched him exit the building, his eyes finding hers almost instantly causing Anna to look away.

"We better get out of here. If Reaver knew who either of us were he'd have us hung, drawn and quartered," Thomas said, his voice quiet and hushed. Anna nodded understandingly. She couldn't help but think that only a week or so ago, she would be agreeing with Thomas but now things were different entirely.

"Go," she encouraged, "I'll see ya tomorrow."

Thomas smiled briefly, glancing over at Reaver one more time before exiting from the courtyard. Anna watched him leave, feeling regretful for using him.

The grasping of her wrist drew her attention away from her ex-lover as she looked up to see Reaver stood beside her, his eyes narrowed aggressively at Thomas in the distance and his jaw clenched. The grip he held on Anna's wrist was icy cold and strong, not allowing Anna to pull away.

"Is that him?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the road ahead. Anna squinted at the same spot, but she could no longer make out Thomas' figure in amongst the crowd of workers and beggars.

"Yes. He's holding a union meeting tomorrow evening and he's invited me to attend," she admitted.

"I am impressed, my love, good job," he said, finally releasing her wrist from his grasp, a smirk appearing on his lips, "Let's get out of this dingy city."


	11. No Body, No Crime

Anna stared down at the pistol that Reaver had just handed her. The craftsmanship of it was absolutely beautiful, she'd never seen anything like it. As she slowly turned it round in her hands, she was able to appreciate the tiny engraved details on the silver hardware. The silver barrel and detailing contrasted nicely against the dark, mahogany grip. It was a far cry from her old, trusty pistol, with its rusted hammer and discoloured barrel. It still worked though, not that she'd ever killed anyone with it. While living in Bowerstone Industrial, her pistol was used more often than not to scare away drunk men and rats.

"A gun?" Anna questioned, looking up from the weapon in her lap. Her green orbs met Reaver's as he leaned casually against his desk. Anna sat in one of the leather chairs opposite.

"Yes. In case it gets ugly," he explained. Anna widened her eyes slightly at the different possibilities that could happen tonight during her meeting with the union group. The one she wanted to avoid was any kind of death, but she supposed a gun would make feel more protected, just in case things went south. But as she thought of the different outcomes, another consideration popped into her head.

"Aren't you worried I won't just turn around and shoot you?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow at the businessman in front of her. Completely unphased, Reaver chuckled.

"I don't know, do you plan on shooting me, my dear?" he asked, making his way around his desk to sit down on his large leather chair. He rested his elbows upon the tabletop and leaned forward slightly, eager for her response.

"Well uh, no?" Anna admitted. Despite her hatred for the man who sat before her, she felt they'd found an understanding and a mutual interest that would help both parties. Killing Reaver at this party would get Anna nowhere and they both knew this. Reaver was all she had.

"So no, I'm not worried," he replied, smirking. Anna nodded, feeling a little ridiculous before slipping the gun into the inside pocket of the jacket she wore.

"I've also hired two of my men to accompany you, again, in case it gets ugly," Reaver explained, looking down at the paperwork that scattered the dark, wooden desk.

"Why?" Anna asked, watching him as he flicked through the different bits of paper before stacking them in one neat pile, his attention then returning to the ex-rebel in front of him.

"You'd hesitate if the situation got difficult. These people were your friends. But the hired men are under your orders, they're there to help you," he said. Anna's youthful skin crinkled as she frowned at the businessman's comments. She hated feeling underestimated, but she hated it more when the reasons seemed justified.

"I suppose you're right," she said quietly, biting her lip as she thought about it.

"I'm always right, my dear," Reaver said, turning his attention back to the workload in front of him. Anna exhaled deeply, thinking over her plan. Blackmail or making threats was the best option and the safest, no one would have to get hurt that way. Threaten Thomas to disband the union and everyone could leave unharmed.

"I'll see you later," Anna announced as she rose from the chair. Glancing at the deviant who continued to scribble things down on the paperwork stacked in front of him, he didn't seem to even acknowledge the girl as she left his presence.

* * *

The air still felt warm and thick as Anna stood in front of the Riveter's Rest. She cautiously glanced around, the streets of Bowerstone Industrial seemed unusually empty, which didn't help the ex-rebel's nerves. Balling up her hands into tight fists she could feel how clammy they were. She'd definitely underestimated how difficult helping Reaver would be. It felt morally wrong.

"There she is!" a voice called behind her. Quickly turning on her heals, Anna was met by two very large men. The one of the left had a shaved head, a dark, black beard and a scar across his right cheek. The other man was taller and had his mousy blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, with two faded tattoos under his dull eyes. On closer inspection from the ex-rebel, she noticed his entire body was inked with an array of badly done tattoos. Their appearances easily intimidated the young girl.

"Mercenaries?" Anna guessed, her voice trembling slightly. The man on the right nodded.

"Aye. This is Sam and I'm Danny. Reaver told you we were comin'?" the blonde man asked. Anna's green eyes scanned each of the men before slowly nodding.

"Yeah, he did. I… uh, we're meeting some people inside," she explained, the nerves inside of her seeming to double and the growing lump in throat was making it harder to talk. Never in her life did she expect to work alongside mercenaries. But then again, never in her life did she expect to have the money to pay for such a service.

"Reaver gave us the rundown. You don't need to be scared of us, princess. We're on your side," the mercenary, Sam explained. A cheeky, grin appeared on his face and he suddenly didn't look as scary to Anna. She smiled slightly in response.

"Sam's a big ol' softy. Like a teddy bear," Danny explained with a chuckle as he led the group into the tavern.

The inside of the building looked fairly generic. The bar sat at the back of the room, with several stools placed at it. Tables and chairs were scattered throughout the establishment, with several occupied by regular customers. As the group entered, Anna could feel several eyes fall on her. Suspicious looks came from those enjoying their drinks and faint whispers could be heard as they made their way to the bar.

Anna kept her head down, not wanting to be recognised by the customers or the staff. She allowed her long brown waves to cover the majority of her face as she walked behind the two mercenaries to get to the bar.

"What can I get for ya?" the bar man asked, he eyed each one of them sceptically as he cleaned the countertop of the spilt beer that stuck to it.

"We're here for the union meeting," Danny explained to the barman. The man's attitude suddenly changed, and a small but welcoming smile appeared on his face.

"Oh aye, meeting is takin' place downstairs in the basement. You're just in time," he said, gesturing to the back door that led down to the cellar below the tavern.

The stairs down were old and rickety. Each step the group made caused the wood to creak and groan. The room below was ordinary enough. A storage room used to house the tavern's beers and ale. Large barrels of the stuff lined the brick walls and there was shelving on the far side that was crammed to the brink with mysterious bottles of liquor.

"Let me do the talking," Anna whispered under her breath as they entered the room full of men and women. The union group talked excitedly amongst each other, all with drinks in their hands as they waited for the meeting to start. The clock tower in Bowerstone Market had just struck 7pm and the seven chimes could be heard faintly in the tavern. As Anna and the two men entered, Thomas was just getting ready to start the evening's gathering.

"Anna!" Thomas said excitedly, his eyes catching a glimpse of her behind the two men. Hurrying over to her he embraced her quickly, in the same friendly way he had before, "I'm so glad you came. We're just about to start."

As Thomas pulled back from the hug there was a loud bang. Time suddenly began to play in slow motion. There was a loud, blood-curdling scream from a woman as Thomas dropped to the floor. Anna's eyes widened in horror; he had been shot. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. This was exactly what Anna had longed to avoid.

"Tom!" she screamed in terror as she collapsed to her knees, her hands quickly pressing down on the bullet wound on his chest. Attempting to stop the bleeding. She wasn't a doctor, she'd had no medical training, she was running simply on instinct and adrenaline. Focusing all her attentions on her injured friend, she was blind to the chaos around her. The two mercenaries had created their own assault. They hid behind the beer barrels that were stored, firing shots at the union group and as a shot flew past Anna's head, she realised that the union members were firing back. Herself and Tom were trapped in the middle of a bloody clash and there was no way to move the dying man out of the way.

"Tom, Tom, please, stay with me," Anna pleaded, pressing down harder on the wound. But as she looked down, she could see the blood pour out in between her fingers, trickling down onto the stone floor where his body lay.

"Anna," he mumbled quietly, his eyes fighting to stay open.

"It'll be okay Tom, I'll get you out of here," she said, her voice panicked and scared. Tom's lips curved upwards ever so slightly.

"I won't make it. B-but I have died for what I believe in," he said, his voice extremely weak. Anna shook her head in horror, this couldn't be happening. Her instantly tears filled her eyes and began to stream down her cheeks like a waterfall.

"Tom, no. Tom, can you hear me?" she asked over and over again but there was no response. He was gone. The ex-rebel sat there, coated in her friend's blood as the last of the bullets flew past her head.

"Come on, princess. We need to get outta here before the guards come," the mercenary Sam said, gripping her wrist tightly and pulling her to her feet. She stood there, frozen in shock and fear. The feeling and movement in her legs completely absent. That was the last thing Anna remembered before the world went black.

* * *

The ex-rebel awoke to a feeling of warmth and the peaceful rhythm of being rocked. For a moment she dreamt she was a child, back in her mother's safe and loving arms but it didn't take long for reality to set in. The stench of gunpowder and beer quickly alerted her to her surroundings. Her eyes flung open instantly and she looked up at the man who was carrying her, Sam.

"Our princess is awake," he said with a cheerful voice that enraged Anna to her core.

"Put me down," she spat and without any hesitation she was immediately dropped. The fall to the cold, stone floor was short, but the impact came keen, "Definitely not what I meant," she added, her tone still cold and vicious.

Returning to her feet, she glanced down at her once pristine clothes, not covered in a mixture of dirt, gun powder and blood. Her eyes returned to the faces of the two mercenary men, narrowing in anger.

"What the fuck happened?" she asked, unable to control her temper. The two men looked at each other, feeling completely unintimidated by the small girl that stood in front of them.

"Exactly what was supposed to happen. Reaver paid us to destroy every person in that room, excluding you of course," Danny explained. Anna's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't quite believe she had trusted Reaver and fallen for his tricks again.

"They weren't meant to die!" she shouted in anger.

"Yes, they were," Sam said calmly, "Now come on. We promised we'd return you safely to the boss man."

Anna shook her head and laughed almost hysterically.

"Like that's going to happen. I'll walk," she told them, turning sharply on her heals and walking out from the dark alley way in which they hid.

"You're really going to walk? All the way back to Millfields?" Danny shouted, sounding somewhat amused by the ex-rebel's determination.

"Yes. If I stay with you any longer, they'll be two more dead tonight," she replied, not even bothering to turn around and see their reactions. But she could imagine they were still completely unphased. It was hard to intimidate two large, muscly men when you looked like a mouse to them.

"Ha! We'd love to see you try," they responded, laughing at the threat. Anna continued to walk away, the feeling of anger and heartache growing inside her. Reaver was going to pay for what he did.


	12. Mad Woman

The moon shone brightly in the night sky, illuminating the path in which Anna walked. What a night she'd had. She could not help but replay the events in her mind as she made her journey back to Reaver’s Manor. Could she have done something different? She felt so unbelievably stupid and naïve. Yet again she had trusted Reaver and just like before, it had backfired on her. And to make matters worse for the ex-rebel, she now found herself wondering through Millfields alone at night. 

Any smart person would have just agreed to make their way back with the mercenaries, Sam and Danny. But Anna's stubbornness compelled her not to.

"Why am I like this?" she groaned, kicking a small pebble along the dirt road. It had been several hours since she had left Bowerstone Industrial and began the gruelling journey back to Reaver's Manor. Part of her wanted to find alternative accommodation for the night, however, realistically, Reaver's house was the safest. Anna couldn't risk being seen by any guards after tonight's events. Despite her hatred and loathing for Reaver, at least his manor would be safe. Tomorrow was the time to deal with the situation of her living arrangements. 

As Anna approached the top of the hill, she could see the full moon reflect perfectly in Bower Lake. Reaver's Manor sat just beside it, looking absolutely picturesque in the dim light. The young woman stared at the building, stopping for a brief moment to admire it. Even in the night light she could still make out the climbing ivy that weaved its way around the large windows, all of which were dark. It was safe to assume that everyone was likely sleeping by now. 

As she continued to walk, Anna speculated whether Reaver was concerned about her where abouts. Surely he would have expected her back by now? Maybe he believed her to be dead? But as Anna approached the door of the grand manor, she came to the conclusion that the businessman really wouldn’t care what had happened to her.   
The door to the manor house was big and heavy, the ex-rebel pushed it open slowly, revealing an empty entrance hall. The house was silent, all the staff had obviously gone to bed. Shutting the door behind her, Anna sneaked quietly up the stairs. The last thing she wanted tonight was to be seen by a maid or a butler. The removal of her blood stained clothes and a good cry was what she needed and craved. 

At the top of the stairs, faint giggles could be heard. Anna let out an involuntary sigh as she turned to make her way down the corridor where her room was. At the end of the long corridor was Reaver’s own private bedroom and standing outside the door were two of his maids. Anna unintentionally paused for a brief moment, examining the two girls before quickly making her way to her own room. 

“Good night, Miss Anna,” one of the maids said, amusement laced in her voice. Anna sighed, her hope of being unnoticed had gone. She glanced towards the two maids who were staring at her with curiosity. 

“Good night?” the other maid asked, twirling a piece of her strawberry blonde hair around her finger. Anna nodded once in response, flashing them a small smile before entering her room. She gently closed the door behind her, reattempting to be unheard. 

The sudden sight of her bed caused Anna to realise how tired she really was. The walk from the city to Millfield’s had definitely taken its toll on her. Stretching and yawning, she made her way to the bed, plopping herself down on the end. As she ran her fingers through her knotted waves of hair, the bedroom door opened. 

“Everything go okay?” a voice said from the darkness. Anna’s eyes darted in the direction of the doorway, watching as Reaver stepped forward into the room. The room was dimly lit but she could just about make out his appearance. He wore his signature smirk upon his face, his hair was unkempt and he wore a dark red dressing gown that was tied far too loosely at the waist. Anna’s eyes narrowed in anger as he entered. 

“You lied to me,” she replied, her voice harsh and accusing. Reaver stared back at her, unphased and slightly amused. 

“Did I now?” he asked innocently. 

“You ordered those mercenaries to kill everyone in that room. Those people were my friends, they didn’t have to die,” Anna explained, tears forming in her emerald green eyes, forcing her to look away from the man who stood before her. 

“You stupid little girl,” Reaver said harshly, “What did you think would happen? You’d have a chat and all would be swell?” he chuckled darkly. 

“Well… I didn’t even get a chance to talk to them so who knows?” she replied, her voice sounding weak and frightened. 

“I know. Those kind of people are out for blood. My blood and yours,” he explained, looking down at the girl who sat on the bed, noticing the blood stains that covered her shirt, “They want to destroy people like us.”

“I am those kind of people. I’m not like you,” Anna said, finally plucking up the courage to look the deviant in his eyes. Reaver cocked an eyebrow at her as he gestured to their surroundings.

“Look around, my dear. Those kinds of people don’t sleep in satin nightgowns and have maids make their beds,” Reaver replied. Anna’s eyes widened slightly at his remark. He wasn’t wrong. Her life had completely changed in only a matter of weeks. She had gone from a sewer rat to an aristocrat. If Thomas and the other union members had known that, they would have avoided her completely. Why was Reaver always right? 

Anna rose to her feet, her legs feeling wobbly from all the miles of walking. She wasn’t sure why she initially stood up, but as she did so she felt a heavy weight in the pocket of her jacket. The gun. A dangerous idea immediately popped into her head. 

“Y’know, you’re wrong about me. I don’t hesitate,” Anna said confidently, pulling the pistol out of her jacket pocket in one swift motion. Pointing it at Reaver, she pressed hard on the trigger, this would be her revenge. Her justice for Tom. But there was no bang like she was expecting, instead the gun made a ‘click’ noise. Anna’s eyes filled with rage and shock as she looked down at the useless device.

“You gave me a gun with no bullets!” she shouted in anger, looking up towards Reaver. The moon that shone through the large window in the room illuminated the man’s face perfectly and his expression read murder. The ex-rebel had never seen Reaver be anything other than smug, and as he glared at her, she felt fearful for her life. 

Without even thinking of the consequences, Anna launched the gun in Reaver’s direction, hoping to knock him off guard long enough to get herself out of here. But in typical Reaver fashion, he simply ducked out of the way of the moving object. There was a clatter as the metal gun hit the floor. 

“You’re testing my patience,” he told her, finally stepping into the room and slamming the door behind him. 

“I don’t care,” she spat back, her eyes scanned the dark room for another weapon, cursing the darkness for making the task so difficult. It suddenly felt like a game of cat and mouse, and Anna was most definitely the mouse. 

As Anna panicked in the dark, she was unaware of Reaver moving towards her. His footsteps were almost completely silent as he approached his prey. Without giving Anna any chance to react, he roughly grabbed her hair, tangling his fingers in it as he pulled her head back exposing her neck. Reaver’s dark eyes stared at the girl’s porcelain skin momentarily before pushing the cold barrel of his gun underneath her jaw. She inhaled sharply as she felt the chill of the metal against her skin and she realised that death was now only seconds away. 

Her eyes automatically closed as she braced herself for the end. At least it would be quick. And before she knew it, she would be reunited with all those she had lost. All the people she had lost as a result of Reaver. There was a loud bang and to Anna’s surprise there was no pain. In fact, death felt very much like being alive. She was still breathing; she could still feel Reaver’s grip on her hair and the barrel against her skin still sent shivers up and down her spine. 

“What the bloody hell was that?” Reaver asked, shoving Anna roughly away from him. The ex-rebel’s eyes flew open as she fell onto the bed. Her brain was racing at a million miles an hour but she quickly worked out she wasn’t in fact dead. 

Her eyes scanned the room rapidly in search of Reaver. He stood looking out of the window, his back to the young girl who lay on the bed.   
Looking past Reaver, Anna could see what he was staring at. A faint, but powerful orange glow had emerged on the horizon. Suddenly there was another loud bang. The ex-rebel flinched, her eyes automatically squeezing shut in an attempt to avoid the danger. 

When she reopened them, the glow on the horizon had grown and was continuing to grow. Timidly, she arose from the bed and carefully made her way to the window. Anna was very aware of Reaver’s presence in the room, but her curiosity was definitely overpowering her fear. As she stared out onto the landscape, a gasp escaped her lips. 

“That’s Bowerstone,” she pointed towards the glow, suddenly realising what it was. Fire. It looked as if the entire city was on fire. 

“I believe your little rebellion is making its final push, my dear,” Reaver replied, his voice calm. Anna glanced over towards him, surprised at his reaction. She would have assumed Reaver would feel anger or frustration, surely, he was on the side of Logan. 

“Finally,” Anna replied, staring back out towards the city. The loud bangs of bombs and shots echoing across Albion. Anna couldn’t help but smile at the sight. This is what she had spent years of her life working towards, overthrowing the tyrant that was King Logan. But as she watched Bowerstone burn, she couldn’t help but feel grateful for not being in the fight itself. She wasn’t sure whether she would have been able to kill anyone, even if they were the enemy. 

“Well I don’t think we’ll be getting any sleep tonight,” Reaver announced casually, “Would you like some tea?” 

“Tea? You were literally just about to kill me,” Anna responded, sounding rather shocked. 

“I can still kill you if you want me to,” Reaver replied, a smirk gracing his lips. Anna shook her head, feeling stupid for saying anything about the situation. 

“No. No thank you.”

“Then tea?” Reaver asked again as they both looked out at the success that was the rebellion.


	13. New Beginnings

Reaver had insisted Anna bathed before their late-night tea. Anna was glad for the alone time, her thoughts seemed to be racing around her head and she needed a moment to think. As she removed her bloodstained clothes, images of the night’s events came flooding back. The traumatised faces of the union members engraved in Anna’s mind. Faces of acquaintances and strangers all now lost thanks to the two mercenaries, Reaver and herself. Guilt instantly wracked her stomach.

A deep sigh left her lips as she stepped into the warm, soapy water. She couldn’t deny how inviting the pleasant liquid felt as she submerged her body in it. Naturally, her eyes closed, attempting a moment of relaxation and distraction. However, the sound of canons and explosions outside in the city quickly halted any enjoyment.

Despite her attempt to relax, her thoughts and focus constantly kept drifting back to Reaver. He was completely impulsive and irrational. Throughout Anna’s adult life she had hated this man with a hatred that made her blood boil. But it wasn’t until tonight that she really felt afraid of him. Afraid of what he may do if she said or did the wrong thing.

* * *

Slowly and steadily, Anna made her way down the large staircase. She could see the door to Reaver’s study was ajar and a dim, golden light shone from the room. Instinctively, she inhaled deeply before making her way to the room. The thought of Reaver sat there with his gun in his hand is a thought that Anna could not escape. There was a still a chance he would kill her, especially after the way she acted tonight. Whatever happened next, Anna would have to play her cards just right.

As she approached the door, she gently pushed the wooden door open, revealing the room. It was rather dark, with several candles lit to emit a dim light. In front of a newly lit fire sat the man himself. He looked fairly casual in his robe, leaning back in a dark leather armchair. To the side of him sat a small coffee table, with a simple pot of tea and two mugs. Opposite was the matching armchair for Anna to sit.

Avoiding all eye contact, Anna quickly entered the room, finding her seat opposite Reaver. Without even looking at the man, she could feel his dark eyes staring at her.

“Tea?” he asked so casually. Anna slowly looked up from her lap to look at the man in front of her. How could he suddenly be so nonchalant and laidback when only an hour ago he was holding a gun to her head? She was really struggling to understand the method to his madness. Reaver instantly picked up on her mindset, a smirk slowly appearing on his lips.

“You seem nervous?” he asked.

“Well… yeah,” Anna replied honestly, “You almost killed me and hour ago and now we’re having tea. I don’t understand.”

Reaver looked her over, taking in her natural form. The bath had removed not only the dry blood that covered the ex-rebel’s body but also her makeup, leaving her face bare. Reaver gazed upon her face for a moment, noting her beauty and her wet hair that was beginning to dry beside the fire. The deviant leaned forward slightly, “I’ll get right to the point, my dear. It occurred to me that with a potential new king on the throne, you’re more use to me alive than dead. You know the new king and his close friends. You could be my way in,” Reaver explained. Anna narrowed her eyes at the man, feeling a wave of anger wash over her.

“So, I’m only alive because I’m useful to you?” she clarified.

“Well of course, my dear. The moment you’re of no use to me, I’ll put a bullet between those lovely eyes of yours,” Reaver said, completely and utterly emotionless. Anna’s eyes widened involuntarily and she could feel the drum of her heart beat throughout her body.

“What if I just leave now?” she asked in response. This only caused the smirk on Reaver’s face to widen.

“Then I’d just shoot you now, mon Cherie.”

* * *

The following week was spent avoiding Reaver. The threat of being shot unsettled Anna and she had decided the best way to stay safe was to keep her head down. She had quickly come to learn Reaver’s routines in order to stay clear of him. When he ate, when he worked and when he went to bed. If Reaver was working in his study, then Anna would be out enjoying the garden. If he was having breakfast, Anna would keep busy in her room until he left the dining room. That was usually at around 9am.

It was a Tuesday morning and Anna was sat in her bed reading. It definitely wasn’t a hobby she enjoyed, but she was willing to do it to avoid Reaver. A quick glance to the clock in her room determined it was well past 9am and Reaver should be long gone from the dining room.

Anna exited her bed, looking herself over before leaving the room. She’d opted for yet another practical outfit, trousers and a shirt. Dresses definitely were not for her. She’d tied her hair back in a messy bun, mainly to keep it out of her face as she read her dull storybook. Leaving her face completely natural, she was happy with her casual appearance. It was not like she had much planned for the day anyway.

Upon entering the dining room, Anna was met by the sight of Reaver. Sitting so casually with a cup of tea and a stack of letters in front of him. She immediately froze. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He should have been finished with breakfast well over an hour ago. A faint sigh escaped the ex-rebel’s lips as she entered the room.

“A letter came for you this morning,” Reaver spoke, not looking up from the letter he was reading. Anna looked towards him, biting her lip nervously before responding.

“Where is it?”

“Just here,” he replied, gesturing to the small stack of mail that sat next to his morning tea. Anna inhaled deeply and forced some confidence as she approached the man. It was not until she stood before the man, that he finally looked up at her. He picked the envelope off the top of the pile. It was small but of good quality and it was sealed with a gold wax seal. Anna took a hold of it but Reaver did not let go.

“Why are you avoiding me?” He asked her, smirking slyly. Anna’s green orbs widened at the accusation. There was no use playing dumb, Reaver already knew the answer, he just wanted to hear it from Anna herself.

“I’m scared of being shot,” she admitted, earning a small chuckle from the businessman.

“If I was going to kill you, I’d still do it whether you were avoiding me or not, my sweet,” Reaver explained. Anna bit her lip, she knew he was right. But in her defence, avoiding him meant she was less likely to slip up and end up with a bullet hole in her body.

She attempted to pull the envelope from Reaver’s grasp again and this time he let her. She looked it over briefly, realising the seal belonged to that of the king. On the front of it, written in black ink was the name ‘Andrea Burton’. Her fingertips lightly touched the penmanship as she admired the calligraphy.

“Sit,” Reaver instructed, gesturing to the chair next to him. Anna did as she was told before excitedly opening her letter.

“It’s an invitation,” she said aloud, “to King Eric’s coronation party.”

Anna had never been invited to a proper party before. The closest she ever got were the small gatherings of drunks in the local tavern on a Saturday night. That was a far stretch from a party held out the palace. Her mind immediately began to imagine a party such as that. What the castle looked like, what the guests wore, how they food tasted. It was all very new young girl.

“Are you going?” Anna asked. Reaver glanced towards her, his attention otherwise occupied.

“Of course, my dear,” he replied.

“Can I go with you then?” She asked nervously.

She would never admit it aloud but the idea of a party, especially one as big as this, made her anxious. It wasn’t just the idea of a royal party that brought Anna’s anxieties out, but also the thought of her old friends from the Resistance attending. She could already imagine Page judgingly staring at her from across the ballroom.

“You want to be my date? Why?” Reaver replied in a teasing tone. Suddenly he was interested in the conversation again.

“Well… uh, I’ve never been to a party before,” she said feeling embarrassed before adding, “And also, who’s going to protect me from Page?”

The latter comment was awarded by a chuckle from Reaver who nodded in agreement.

“Fine, but if our dear friend Page comes for us then I will show no mercy,” he responded. Anna smiled slightly, feeling slightly relieved. Without even wanting to admit it to herself, she couldn’t help but like this version of Reaver.


End file.
